IT joins postgame fun
Injured star celebrates, too, via FaceTime
CLEVELAND — Right now, technology is Isaiah Thomas’ only connection to the Celtics locker room.
As teammates recounted after yesterday’s practice, they celebrated Sunday night’s win against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals by connecting with the injured guard via FaceTime.
On the one hand, Thomas was “ecstatic,” to use Marcus Smart’s description, as well as emotionally torn over missing the rest of the playoffs with a labral tear in his right hip. Thomas will meet with doctors today after speaking with specialists in Boston, New York and elsewhere.
“I didn’t even realize that (the FaceTime session) had happened until later on,” coach Brad Stevens said. “But one of my first text messages I got (after the 111-108 win on Avery Bradley’s last-second 3-pointer) was from Isaiah. He’s hurting not being able to be out there, but he’s completely invested, that’s for sure.”
Thomas was certainly invested enough to jump into the middle of the postgame celebration — virtually, at least.
“He’s ecstatic,” Smart said. “I told him I channeled my inner IT, and he kind of laughed a little bit.”
Smart started in Thomas’ place and engineered the C’s second-half comeback from a 21-point deficit.
“It felt good. It felt good to see him smile,” Smart said. “He’s been down with everything he’s been going through, and then for him not to be here, I know that hurts him even more. So to see him happy and smiling, it was a good feeling for us.”
Bradley felt for his friend and teammate.
“Just so sad that he’s not here,” Bradley said. “We wish he was here with us, and we just want him to get better. ... It’s different. It’s very different (not having him here). But all we can do is play hard for him.”
Horford enjoys fight
The Game 3 win that left the Cavaliers with just a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series engulfed the Celtics in youthful exuberance, including the team’s most veteran leader, Al Horford. After walking off the floor, Horford went on camera with CSN in a particularly excited state.
Like his younger teammates, Horford felt more than a little vindication.
“It shows that you have to play the games,” Horford said. “If you get caught up in listening to people and reminiscing about what happened, you will lose before you even step on the floor, and our guys didn’t allow that. Coach talked about it. Our season is on the line. Isaiah, our best player, is out. And we’re going to fight. Guys rallied, we just kept fighting.”
Expect better
In the wake of LeBron James putting up just 11 points Sunday night, the Celtics have no doubt that the player who comes back out for Game 4 tonight will have a lot more in common with the one that put up 38 in Game 1.
“I think he’s going to be aggressive,” Bradley said. “I mean, LeBron James understands how to play the game, and he understands what this team needs from him.”
Stevens was careful to point out what James did right in Game 3.
“Well, one of the things, as you go back and watch the film, I thought LeBron made a lot of the right plays,” Stevens said. “When you’ve got guys that are all on fire the way they are, the right basketball play is to find them. He just made it over and over. . . . So I thought he was pretty darned good. But like I said last night, I’m not going to be critical of the best player in the world.”