In Boston, Celtics guard Derrick White experienced a concerning moment during Thursday night’s game against the Philadelphia team when he sustained a dental injury that brought to mind a similar incident from last year’s NBA Finals. White encountered the mishap 7 minutes and 13 seconds into the second quarter as he attempted to block a layup by Kelly Oubre Jr. and inadvertently received an elbow to the face. This encounter prompted him to clutch his mouth immediately and retrieve a small white object, presumably related to his teeth, from the court.
He was then led to the locker room, shielding his face with a towel. Just before halftime, an update from the team indicated that he was likely to return for the second half, and indeed, he began playing again in the third quarter. Before his temporary exit, White had contributed 10 points and recorded a rebound.
This unfortunate occurrence is reminiscent of last year when, during the Celtics’ victory in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against Dallas, White chipped one of his front teeth after an accident on the court. Ironically, this latest injury occurred just a day following White’s impressive performance where he set personal bests with 41 points and nine successful three-pointers against Portland.
