Boston Celtics guard Derrick White did a painful-looking face plant on the TD Garden court on Monday night and stayed in the game.
In the end, he got to smile as the Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 in Game 5 to win the franchise’s record-setting 18th NBA championship.
The smile revealed something else: a chipped tooth.
“I’d lose all my teeth for a championship,” he told ABC during the postgame celebration.
This championship was all about teamwork and sacrifice. White was diving for a loose ball when Dallas’ Dereck Lively landed on top of White, rolling onto his head. White was treated briefly on the sideline for bleeding.
He ended up playing more than 38 minutes and scoring 14 points with eight rebounds.
“We didn’t skip any steps from the beginning to the end,” he said. “Just the locker room, everything, it’s special.”
A parade, the team’s first since 2008, is in the Celtics’ future. A trip to the dentist will be in White’s future, too.
“I’ll get it fixed and enjoy this one,” he said.
Contributing: Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY
