Celtics' Isaiah Thomas pushes through the pain
BOSTON – Isaiah Thomas is hurting.
Physically, he is in pain, needing extensive oral surgery to repair a fractured tooth and two other shifted teeth, an injury sustained in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Washington Wizards. He is wearing a temporary bridge that cracked and needed a replacement during halftime of Game 3.
Emotionally, he is in pain following the death of his 22-year-old sister Chyna in a car accident at the start of the NBA playoffs.
Basketball has provided Thomas with some joy, a brief respite from the sorrow.
The 5-9 Boston Celtics guard — the last pick in the 2011 draft who was discarded by the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns before finding a home in Boston — scored a team-high 29 points, leading the Celtics to a 115-105 victory against the Washington Wizards in Game 7 of their series.
“I’ve never been to the Eastern Conference Finals so this is something off my bucket list,” Thomas said.
Following Washington's victory in Game 6, Thomas said of Game 7s, “That’s where all the great players make their name. That’s where legends are born.”
Could he perform on that stage? He did. “You dream of winning Game 7s,” he said. “It was a special moment for us.”
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He spent time leading up to Game 7 watching the Celtics’ 2008 Game 7 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference semifinals, the game where Paul Pierce scored 41 points and LeBron James had 45, and the Celtics won.
“Two superstars going at it, guarding each other, and it was a historic game,” Thomas said. “I definitely did my studying and knew it was going to be a big-time game tonight.”
Thomas scored 17 of his points in the second half, including 12 in the third quarter. He scored nine points — all three-pointers — during a game-changing 18-2 Celtics run, helping Boston to a 94-81 lead early in the fourth quarter. He also delivered 12 assists.
“He was terrific, and the 12-to-2 assist-to-turnover (ratio) is as powerful as the 29 points," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. "I thought he made a lot of great plays, a lot of those shots that others made in the fourth quarter were off his passes or started with them putting two guys on Isaiah. Man, is he a tough guy.”
Then, Stevens alluded to even more issues for Thomas. “He’s dealing with more stuff physically,” Stevens said.
Asked what else bothered him, Thomas admitted, “I’m hurting, but it’s the playoffs, so there are no excuses. I get my treatment every day, and I’m ready to play. I couldn’t tell you any more than that.”
After scoring 52 points in Game 2, the Wizards applied extreme defensive pressure on Thomas with double-teams, blitzes and traps, trying to force the ball out of his hands. The player who finished third in the league in scoring during the regular season at 28.9 points per game, had 13, 19 and 18 points in the next three games.
But when the Celtics needed a game from Thomas, he delivered. He founds ways to score and break down Washington’s defense in the series finale.
So, Boston’s playoff journey continues, in large part because of Thomas who has found a way to put aside grief and pain during a game and produce. The human condition is fascinating, our ability to focus on work amid life-changing events.
"It’s amazing," Stevens said. "Obviously, these guys out here can do things physically that most people can’t do. But the resolve and the ability to compartmentalize and perform on that stage that way, that’s another very, very rare skill set and hats off to all them. But Isaiah certainly is special in that regard."
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