Boston Celtics guard Derrick White had a deja vu of sorts during the team’s 123-105 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
White lost a tooth in the middle of the second quarter with the score at 42-34. The one-time NBA champion was hit in the face during a Kelly Oubre Jr. drive to the basket. He picked his tooth off the floor before heading to the locker room.
White returned in the second half with a full set of teeth and finished the match with 12 points, three rebounds, and six assists on 4-for-14 shooting from the field.
It is worth noting that White also lost his tooth during Game 5 of last year’s NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, where the Boston Celtics clinched their 18th championship in franchise history.
Many were surprised when Derrick White returned to the game with a full set of teeth after the incident. He said the teeth he lost were temporary replacements for the originals he lost during the NBA Finals and added that he was supposed to replace them with permanent teeth a few weeks ago.
“We went to the (locker room) and I was trying to debate how I was gonna go back,” White explained via Taylor Snow. “So I got some glue, put a mouthpiece on, and I was good to go.”
“After the glue and the mouthpiece, I figured, what’s the worst that can happen? Just get back out there and keep the mouthpiece in; that’s kind of how I thought about it,” he added.
