“That man has been balling” - Jaylen Brown hyped after Derrick White’s 25-point Game 1 dominance

Jaylen Brown and Derrick White spearheaded the Boston Celtics to a 120-95 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference’s semifinals Game 1 on Tuesday. Brown scored 32 points and White added 25 points, including seven 3-pointers.

In response, Donovan Mitchell put up 33 points, but his effort fell short for a Cleveland team that was playing its fourth consecutive game without starting center Jarrett Allen.

Right after the game, Jaylen Brown was on the sidelines with TNT's Stephanie Ready, asked to weigh in on Derrick White's impact and if he was surprised about his performance, to which he replied:

"If you don't know Derrick White, you better get to know him and that man has been balling and he's just getting started, hell of a game from him tonight."

Ultimately, the Boston Celtics proved too dominant for the overwhelmed Cavaliers. The teams will meet again at TD Garden for Game 2 on Thursday in their best-of-seven series.

Jaylen Brown and Derrick White dominate in first and third quarters to pull away from Cleveland Cavaliers

Guided by Brown, the Celtics started strong, taking a 40-34 lead in the first quarter without committing a single turnover. Brown racked up 15 points in that quarter, contributing to a 20-point first half as the Celtics held a 59-49 lead at halftime.

White dominated the third quarter, scoring 14 points including four 3-pointers. His seventh three of the game pushed Boston's advantage to 87-72. The Celtics maintained a 92-77 lead as they entered the fourth quarter.

The Cavaliers struggled to counteract. Mitchell put up 16 of his 33 points in the third quarter, yet it failed to curb the efficient offensive surge from Boston.

The Celtics widened their lead early in the fourth quarter and never let the Cavaliers close the gap. Cleveland conceded defeat, pulling its starters when Boston was ahead 115-89 with 3:42 left on the clock.

Boston showcased its prowess from beyond the arc, clinching a decisive victory despite a subpar shooting performance from All-Star and MVP candidate Jayson Tatum.

With multiple players capable of leading the offense, Boston is among the select NBA teams that can excel against formidable opponents even when its star player has an off night. Tuesday’s victory over Cleveland perfectly illustrated this strength.

The Celtics shot an impressive 48.9% from the field and 39.1% from 3-point range, making 18 of 46 attempts. They tallied 125 points on 92 shots. Achieving this dominant victory was even more notable as they were without forward Kristaps Porzingis, who missed his second consecutive game due to a calf injury incurred during Round 1 against the Miami Heat.