Marquee matchup: Derrick White vs. Cade Cunningham

The score is tied 2-2 with the two squaring off two more times before the end of the season.

Not every game in the NBA has a marquee matchup as some teams don’t have a bona fide star. I’m thinking about Magic vs. Bird, Kobe vs. LeBron, Shaq vs. Yao Ming, Wilt vs. Russell, KD vs. LeBron, and so on.

Here’s a new rivalry that’s brewing: Derrick White vs. Cade Cunningham.

Let’s take it back to where it all started earlier this season. In October, the Detroit Pistons hosted the Boston Celtics and early in the game, Cunningham tried to put White on a poster, but White managed to get the block.

It seemed like Cunningham wanted revenge on the block and early in the second half, Cade got his revenge. Cunningham dunked on White and the dunk fueled the Pistons into making what looked like a blowout into a tense game after they outscored Boston 31-21 in the third quarter.

In the same game in October, late in the game with under a minute left, Cunningham went for another posterizing dunk. However, this time White had better timing and met Cunningham at the rim, and came up with a huge block on the former Oklahoma State star.

“He dunked on me earlier in the game, so [I] felt like I had to get some revenge on that one,” White said postgame.

Every Celtics fan knows White is the best shot-blocking guard in the NBA. This year, White is averaging one block per game. Derrick has been dunked on many times in his NBA career which is probably why he continues to contest shots at the rim because he’s not embarrassed to be put on a poster like other NBA players are. Because of White’s fearlessness, he gets rewarded more times than not with a sensational block.

White was leading the rivalry 2-1 after two rejections to just one poster after their first meeting.

Fast forward to early December when Boston welcomed Detroit to the Garden. It didn’t take long for Cunningham to equal the score. With just under five minutes left in the first quarter, Cunningham picked up the loose ball, and dribbled between two Celtics in the transition before bodying White at the rim.

At that moment in time, Detroit had all the momentum and a poster always seemed more emphatic if a team called a timeout straightaway. It gives the team more time to celebrate the dunk and the broadcast will replay the dunk countless times during the intermission.

Although Derrick White did get another block on Cunningham later in the first half, Cunningham’s shot wasn’t at the rim so it didn’t count towards the rivalry points. It was still a great block by Derrick White though so it had to be mentioned.

Both White and Cunningham are both super fun players to watch and when they go toe-to-toe, it’s great basketball. In a battle between White’s defensive IQ and Cunningham’s crafty offensive bag and explosiveness, it makes it can’t miss TV.

Despite Cunningham having the last laugh, the score is tied at two apiece. Derrick White will be looking to retake the lead tonight in Boston when the two again square off head-to-head.