An ardent young supporter in the front row made an intense attempt to grab Derrick White’s attention approximately forty-five minutes prior to Tuesday night’s game.

“Derrick White! Derrick White! Derrick White!” the supporter yelled repeatedly. After White finished his shooting routine, he hopped over to the kid, shook his hand, and posed for a photo while smiling and waving. The child’s grin was so big. It was obvious that White had a profound impact on his life.

My mom calls him “Derrick Do Right” for a reason. No matter the situation, White always makes the correct choice, whether it’s on or off the court. To put it simply, he is the Celtics’ rock.

The Celtics (17-5) rely on White to provide timely confidence boosts. He had 17 points, five of eight from outside the arc, four assists, four boards, and two blocks in Tuesday’s 120-113 victory over the Cavaliers (13-11).

He gave the Celtics a bucket whenever they needed one. He made the additional pass when they needed to. To help lead Boston to a remarkable victory, he went above and above when they needed a stop.

White has been performing admirably in December, averaging 23 points, 5.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game. From the field, he is shooting 51.2%, with 47.8% coming from beyond the arc and 100 percent from the charity stripe. Even though it’s only four games, it reveals a bigger pattern.

As the Celtics have gotten off to a perfect start at home this season—11-0—his play has been a constant.

In a team that features Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, White is a great fit because he can contribute without the rock. Because of his ability to play off the ball as much as on it, the Celtics have more lineup flexibility. His exceptional defensive skills alleviate pressure on the players and guarantee that the team continues to perform well even when Jrue Holiday is benched.

The Celtics got back on track after getting off to a slow start thanks to White’s blistering shooting. In a little over a minute, he made three consecutive 3-pointers as Boston kept making inroads. White isn’t one to force threes, but he appears more assured than ever as he sinks them whenever he finds a little opening.

“We received numerous compliments,” White remarked. “In due time, they will collapse.”

Thanks to White, the Celtics were able to capitalize on their offense, shot selection, and playmakers. When things went wrong, they didn’t try to do anything new; instead, they responded stylishly by making a straightforward and smart play.

“I believe thаt’s а significаnt develоpment fоr оur teаm,” White stаted. We used tо tаke it eаsy аt first, thinking we’d mаke it big. This time аrоund, we mаintаined оur аggressive stаnce, mаde аccurаte reаds, аnd mаde the cоrrect plаys.

During the third quarter, White made a last-second adjustment to a Darius Garland layup. Having already put Boston up with a 3-pointer, he found Tatum for another, then found Kristaps Porzingis for a game-winning 3-pointer at the top of the key.

White, with Holiday down, sought for scoring opportunities as they presented themselves in the offense’s flow. He took on more of a facilitator role and helped set up his teammates for success when Holiday was on the bench.

To help put the game away in the fourth quarter, White connected with Brown on a fadeaway pass.

His composure and adaptability in the game-defining moments made one fan’s night before tip-off even better, and he did the same for thousands more. He has an idea about why the Bruins are undefeated at home.

The league’s best fans are here, White said. A relatively easy task, I thought.