Boston Celtics guard Derrick White. David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Derrick White believes 2022 Finals heartache is motivating Celtics

By Adam Taylor | Last updated Jun 7, 2024 4:10 PM ET

The Celtics won the opening game of their NBA Finals series against the Mavericks on Thursday. Kristaps Porzingis returned from injury and immediately made an impact. Dallas had difficulty containing Boston's elite perimeter scoring, and Luka Doncic struggled to create opportunities for his teammates.

Boston has been here before. They made it to the 2022 NBA Finals before falling short against the Golden State Warriors. Derrick White believes that experience will help the Celtics as the series gets deeper.

"Yeah, I think anytime you go through something like that and all the experience that we've gathered through like the ups, the downs, all that has just helped us to be a better team," White said during his postgame news conference. "So we've learned from everything and this core group has been together through a lot of adversity, so I definitely think it helps."

Outside of Kyrie Irving, Dallas has a young team. This version of the Mavericks roster has never been to an NBA Finals, so they're learning on the fly. Boston is only two years removed from its last trip, so it's used to deep postseason runs. It knows how to handle the fatigue and increased expectations.

Unsurprisingly, Joe Mazzulla's team controlled both sides of the floor in Game 1. Boston has a deeper, more experienced roster, and the Celtics played like the championship favorites they've been made out to be.

After losing to the Warriors in 2022, every move Boston has made has been designed to get back to this point. The additions of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis appear to have ensured they will be a formidable opponent. They know what it takes to win games at this level, but they've fallen short at the final hurdle before. That heartbreak will fuel Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Unfortunately for Dallas, they may need to suffer similar heartbreak before they're ready to win a championship.

Adam Taylor

Adam Taylor is a sports journalist based out of the UK. Adam has been covering the NBA for nearly a decade with a core focus on the Boston Celtics. He currently holds bylines with Yardbarker, SB Nation and USA Today

More must-reads: