Category: Buffs in NBA

Derrick White drops 21 points in NBA Finals debut

Derrick White led the charge off the Celtics’ bench in Game 1

The Boston Celtics kicked things off with a Game 1 NBA Finals victory over the Golden State Warriors.

The Celtics came into the Bay Area and stunned the Dubs in terrific fashion, walking out with a 120-108 victory.

Jaylen Brown and Al Horford led the way as Jayson Tatum struggled and went just 3-for-17 from the field, although he did add 13 assists.

However, former Colorado Buffaloes star Derrick White paced the way off the bench with 31 minutes. He finished the game with 21 points on 6-of-11 from the field, including an impressive 5-for-8 clip from beyond the arc. White even played more minutes than Marcus Smart and was an essential piece to the Boston victory.

Once again, the NBA trade deadline deal with the San Antonio Spurs is paying off in a massive way for the Celtics and for White, who has transitioned into his role rather well.

It looked rough for the Celtics going into the third quarter, but they outscored the Warriors 40-16 in the final frame, and White hit a couple of huge shots down the stretch.

So, White and the Celtics take a crucial 1-0 lead with Game 2 scheduled for Sunday in the Bay Area before the series moves to Boston.

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Which Splash Brother will Derrick White guard in the NBA Finals?

Who do you think Derrick White will guard in the NBA Finals?

For the first time since Chauncey Billups helped the Detroit Pistons win a ring in 2004, a former Colorado men’s basketball player is headed to the NBA Finals. Derrick White, who was traded midseason from San Antonio to Boston, will represent the Buffs on basketball’s biggest stage.

Here’s what White, a former Division 2 player at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, had to say about reaching the finals (h/t 104.3 The Fan):

“It’s pretty crazy. It’s something that you dream about as a kid, watch growing up, and kind of look back on it. Going to try to think about it, but right now, I’m just trying to stay in the moment. Try to enjoy as much as I can, but understand that once the ball goes up, it’s really just basketball, and we got to get we got to find a way to get four wins.”

In the Eastern Conference Finals, White scored 14 points in Game 5 to help the Celtics eventually move past the Miami Heat. But things will only get more difficult for White and Boston’s backcourt with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole waiting for the Golden State Warriors.

So, who will White match up against? According to Trevor Haas of Celtics Blog, a White-Poole showdown is worth keeping an eye on:

Derrick White and Jordan Poole are going to have some entertaining battles. People are talking a lot about Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, for good reason, but they seem to forget that the Warriors are basically the Splash Triplets now. Poole is electric with the ball, and if White is the one on him at times, winning that matchup is critical. He doesn’t need to limit Poole entirely, but he can’t let him get hot. When Poole is on fire, the Warriors often are as well. On offense, White needs to continue to penetrate and look for those in-between shots. He doesn’t need to force 3’s and doesn’t need to stop shooting them altogether. Just make the right play, like he has been the majority of the time.

Another potential matchup for White is with Curry. Jake Shapiro of 104.3 The Fan wrote on Wednesday that White will likely guard the future hall of famer.

As for Thompson, I would say that considering his height and playstyle, White probably won’t be facing up against him.

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Derrick White shines for Celtics in huge Game 5 win over Heat

Derrick White helped the Boston Celtics in a massive way as they clinched the Game 5 victory over the Miami Heat.

The Boston Celtics are now one victory away from a trip to the NBA Finals and a likely berth against the Golden State Warriors.

With the series tied up at two games apiece, the pressure was on the Celtics more than the Miami Heat — especially with the game being in South Beach.

This time, it wasn’t Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum who were the difference-makers. Instead, it was former Colorado Buffaloes star Derrick White.

White has provided the Celtics with steady reserve minutes since coming over at the NBA Trade Deadline via a deal with the San Antonio Spurs. But, his best performance came when the Celtics needed it most.

White finished with 14 points on 6-8 from the field and five assists in 29 minutes off the bench. For perspective, he played more minutes than Marcus Smart and Robert Williams.

After the victory, veteran Al Horford raved about White in what was a common discussion.

Brown also made sure to give White credit for the masterful performance.

Yes, Brown and Tatum combined for 47 points and Horford chipped in 16. But it was White’s play that really put Boston over the edge.

The Celtics now look to clinch the Eastern Conference title at home on Friday night, and White will once again have a massive role.

WATCH: Forever Buff Spencer Dinwiddie lights it up for Mavs in Game 7

WATCH: Spencer Dinwiddie hit four 3-pointers in a monster first half for the Mavericks in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals

Spencer Dinwiddie is lovin’ his new team in Dallas.

Yes, it would be nice to see the former Colorado Buffaloes great start a few more games, but his first half performance coming off the bench in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals was one for the ages.

Dinwiddie shot 7-for-10 from the field, including 4-for-5 from deep, to finish the half with 21 points. Combined with Luka Doncic’s 27 points, the Mavs built a commanding 57-27 halftime lead over the No. 1 seed Phoenix Suns. Who saw that coming?

While the Mavericks (assuming they hold on) still must get through Golden State, Dinwiddie in the NBA Finals would be great for CU basketball.

But first, check out a few of his monster 3-pointers from the first half:

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Buffs in the NBA playoffs: Updates on Spencer Dinwiddie and Derrick White

Spencer Dinwiddie and Derrick White are both balling in the NBA conference semifinals

While it was tough to watch our hometown Denver Nuggets fall to Golden State in the first round, there is still reason to watch the NBA playoffs if you’re a Colorado basketball fan. Former Buffs Spencer Dinwiddie and Derrick White have both reached the conference semifinals with their respective teams, and both series have been extremely close.

Dinwiddie, who was lucky enough to be traded midseason from the Washington Wizards to the Dallas Mavericks, has averaged double-digit points in seven of the Mavs’ 12 playoff games so far. But after starting the first three games of round one against Utah, which included a posterizing dunk on Rudy Gobert, he is now coming off the bench.

Dinwiddie was big again with a 15-point performance in a 113-86 win over Phoenix in game six of the conference semifinals. Game seven will be played Sunday.

After four and a half successful seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, White was also the beneficiary of being traded to a playoff team. His Boston Celtics are currently down 3-2 in their conference semis matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks. White began the series with a 10-point game and was promoted to the starting lineup for game two, but was then held scoreless. He has since scored 14, 11 and nine points in each of the following games.

The Celtics will look to even the series on Friday evening in game six.

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Jabari Walker reportedly decides to go all-in with NBA, will not return to CU

Jabari Walker is reportedly planning to go all-in with his NBA dreams

It is official.

Colorado Buffaloes star Jabari Walker won’t be returning to Boulder and will be going all-in toward his NBA dream.

According to Jonathan Givony of ESPN, Walker has decided to sign with an agent and is expected to forego his college eligibility, as his father, Samaki Walker, revealed the news.

On one hand, this is a surprise by Walker for a number of reasons, mainly because he could’ve gone through the draft process before hiring an agent. So, the timing is shocking, but Walker should have a decent chance of being one of the 60 players selected in the 2022 NBA draft.

It will be interesting to see where draft experts have Walker. As of now, Walker is likely a second-round draft choice.

The talent is there, and if he performs well during the NBA Combine and the pre-draft process, he has a shot to sneak into the back end of the first round.

So, Walker is headed to the NBA and will be remembered by Buffs fans for a long time, especially after a dominant 2021-22 season.

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WATCH: Spencer Dinwiddie put Rudy Gobert on a poster in NBA playoffs victory

Spencer Dinwiddie had a highlight slam in the Mavericks’ playoff win at Utah

The Dallas Mavericks are feeling terrific after an impressive win on Thursday night against the Utah Jazz. In the first round of the NBA playoffs, the Mavericks jumped out to a 2-1 series lead, and Luka Doncic hasn’t even seen the court in the series.

Jalen Brunson has been electric for the Mavs and is channeling his improbable run from his Villanova days. But, on Thursday, it was former Colorado Buffaloes star Spencer Dinwiddie who had the highlight of the night.

The Mavs’ trade deadline acquisition left the Utah fans stunned with a massive poster dunk over Rudy Gobert.

If you haven’t seen it, get ready to watch this over and over again.

Yeah, Dinwiddie did that on the former NBA Defensive Player of the Year and didn’t think twice.

He finished the game with 20 points, although he shot just 6-of-21 from the field. Nonetheless, the Mavs got the victory, and Dinwiddie’s dunk is easily one that everybody will be watching on repeat for quite some time.

When, or if, Dallas gets Doncic back, things will look even better for the Mavs, and the Jazz might not have a chance to come back.

Game 4 is Saturday night in Utah.

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Tyler Bey dominates in G League Finals

Tyler Bey had a double-double in game one of the G League Finals

The Colorado Buffaloes have a couple of former players in the NBA Playoffs. Derrick White is suiting up for the Boston Celtics, and Spencer Dinwiddie and the Dallas Mavericks are gearing up for a hopeful deep playoff run.

But, the Buffs also have a former player in the G League Playoffs. That is Tyler Bey, who is doing well with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, who are the No. 1 seed in the G League tournament.

In game one of the G League Finals, Bey posted a nice stat line with 16 points and 11 rebounds as the Vipers won the first game of the series.

Bey has enjoyed the season with the Vipers, averaging 11.9 points and 7.4 rebounds across 29 contests for Rio Grande Valley, which included seven starts.

The 2020 second-round pick enjoyed some time with the Dallas Mavericks in the 2020-2021 season but was unable to make an NBA trip this time around.

But, if he keeps playing well in the G League Playoffs, that will definitely help his case as the offseason begins and teams aim to bring in other players for the Las Vegas Summer League.

Game two of the series is on Thursday evening, so be sure to keep tabs on how Bey performs as the Vipers look to go up 2-0.

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10 of the University of Colorado’s most famous alumni

Here are 10 of the most famous people to ever attend CU Boulder. Who are your favorite all-time Buffs?

Perhaps a reflection of the eclectic town of Boulder in which it resides, the University of Colorado has produced a wide array of interesting and unique alumni. While not all of these people ended up graduating from CU, they all attended the school and left their mark on the Boulder community at some point or another.

From athletes to astronauts and everything in between, here are 10 of the most famous people to ever attend CU Boulder. And as a friendly reminder, this list is subjective, so let us know in the comments who else you’d include!

Buffs in the NBA: Alec Burks has huge night for the Knicks

Former Buff Alec Burks comes in clutch for the Knicks in close victory over the Pistons.

The NBA season is approaching the final stretch. With that, a number of former Colorado Buffaloes players have performed well this season.

Not long ago, Spencer Dinwiddie hit a game-winner for the Dallas Mavericks and has fit in well with his new team. On Sunday, former Buff Alec Burks was the star of the night for the New York Knicks as they got the victory over the Detroit Pistons.

The Knicks guard hit a go-ahead three-pointer down the stretch and then turned around and sealed the deal with a steal of Cade Cunningham, the top pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Burks finished the game with 18 points and five boards but had just one steal, although it came at the perfect time as the Knicks escaped Little Caesars arena with the win.

Burks is averaging just over 11 points per game with 4.7 boards and 2.8 assists and has become an important part of the Knicks rotation. However, New York is the 11-seed in the Eastern Conference and still quite a ways back from the Atlanta Hawks for the final spot in the play-in.

After a stellar season in 2020-2021, the Knicks have fallen far and fast, although Burks has seen his minutes increase.

Nonetheless, Burks can be satisfied with the impressive play down the stretch on Sunday and will look to make more highlights over the next few weeks.

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