White’s focus is on the team

Guard Derrick White started 70 of 82 games for the Celtics during the regular season and mostly thrived, registering a plus-11.0 rating that was the best of any of the regular starters.

But when coach Joe Mazzulla called him prior to Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the 76ers and told him he would be replaced in the starting lineup by center Robert Williams, White did not flinch.

“I’m not entitled to that spot,” he said. “If it’s what’s best for the team, we go with that. Rob’s a great player, so I was with it . . . I was all for it.”

Williams was impactful at both ends of the court in Boston’s 95-86 win that kept its season alive, and the Celtics outscored the 76ers by 18 points while he was on the floor. It is no surprise, then, that Williams will remain with the starting group for Game 7 at TD Garden on Sunday afternoon.

“We just wanted to get back to what we know,” guard Marcus Smart said. “Everybody was comfortable with it. Everybody understood their assignments, and it made things a little bit easier for us. This game is all about adjustments, especially once you get to the postseason . . . First couple of games we didn’t play Rob, and we made our adjustment.”

In addition to Williams’s obvious skills as a shot-blocker, rebounder, and general deterrent, Smart and Mazzulla pointed out that his mere presence allows the guards to play more aggressively.

“He’s been a great security blanket for us,” Mazzulla said.

Home court an advantage?

The Celtics are known for having some of the rowdiest, most enthusiastic home crowds in the NBA. But after their Game 6 win, guard Jaylen Brown called them out for being somewhat muted during these playoffs.

It’s unclear whether the lack of energy has made a difference, but the Celtics enter Game 7 just 3-3 at home during the postseason.

“We try our best,” Smart said. “Things haven’t been going our way this postseason, especially in the Garden, but we still have our confidence and belief that on our home court, we’re very tough to beat and they’re going to have to come beat us.”

Mazzulla said it can actually be more challenging to focus at home, where there are more distractions and pressures.

“On the road it’s only you and 20 people, however many people are in that timeout or on that bench,” he said. “So, regardless of where we play we just have to have that level of focus on the details.”

Smart clarifies comments

Smart raised some eyebrows after Game 6 when he insinuated that Mazzulla deserved some of the harsh criticism directed at him this season.

“I know he’s been killed a lot, rightfully so,” Smart said Thursday. “He needs to make some adjustments, and he did that.”

Later that night, Smart clarified those comments a bit, saying that Mazzulla was doing his best, and that’s all the team could ask of him. On Saturday, he provided more context.

“‘Rightfully so’ in the matter of, just like us, when we go out there and we don’t play as good a game, or we don’t do things that we know we’re capable of or we should be doing, we get held accountable,” Smart said. “Joe’s not on the court, so he gets held accountable differently than we do, and that’s with certain things that he might do or might not do. But at the end of the day, it’s his decision. If it works, we don’t say nothing. If it doesn’t, then obviously you have to look at it.”

Smart added later: “Joe loves us; we love Joe. We believe in Joe, and Joe believes in us.”