Report: Derrick White didn't travel with Celtics due to ear issue

Share

The Boston Celtics' most durable player is in danger of missing his first game of the season.

Celtics point guard Derrick White stayed in Milwaukee after Boston's overtime loss to the Bucks on Tuesday night to see an ear specialist, TNT's Jared Greenberg reports.

According to Greenberg, White is "having trouble hearing out of his left ear" after he got tangled up with Milwaukee's Grayson Allen fighting for a loose ball early in the second quarter.

Celtics Talk POSTGAME POD: Shorthanded C's push Bucks to the brink but fall short in OT | Listen & Subscribe

White looked shaken up after the incident but remained in the game, scoring a team-high 27 points with 12 assists and three steals in the Celtics' 131-125 loss. He also spoke with reporters after the game, so hopefully this isn't a serious issue.

That said, the Celtics are hosting the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night at TD Garden, so if White stayed overnight in Milwaukee, the team may decide to hold him out of Wednesday's game depending on how he's feeling.

White has been the best player for the shorthanded C's over the past five games, averaging 25 points, 8.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds per contest in that span and earning Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors for the Week of Feb. 6-12. With Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Al Horford all dealing with injuries, the C's would benefit greatly from having White on the floor Wednesday night, and he's played in all 58 games for the team so far this season.

Wednesday's game is Boston's last before the All-Star break, though, so head coach Joe Mazzulla may play it conservative and extend White's break by an extra day.

Contact Us