Thomas finds new admirers
CELTICS NOTEBOOK
Isaiah Thomas clearly believes he’s formed a permanent bond with the Garden crowd, and in the wake of the Celtics’ win over the Clippers on Sunday, he saw what it means to be Paul Pierce in Boston.
Pierce, in turn, sees something that connects Thomas to all of the other great Celtics he has known.
“I think the way he plays and what he’s done over the last couple of years, he’s really shown what being a Celtic is all about,” said Pierce. “This guy’s one of the littlest guys in the NBA, but he has one of the biggest hearts in the league. The fans here truly appreciate that. That’s the kind of things I try to tell him. Hopefully he can have a home here for a long time.
“He’s starting to come into his own. He’s figured it out. He’s at the point in his career he’s figured it out. The game looks easy for him. I watched that last game where they played, I think it was Detroit, and he had like 24 in the fourth. And the game just looked easy for him. Any time I have a chance to watch the Celtics I kind of keep up with them whenever they’re on TV.
“But the game looks easy for him. He’s easily the best point guard in the Eastern Conference.”
It’s unclear whether Pierce kept abreast of the seasons being put together by Washington’s John Wall and Toronto’s Kyle Lowry, but Thomas’ incredible scoring run has confounded opponents from across the league.
The Celtics begin this week’s fourstop western road trip in the city where it all began in the NBA for Thomas — Sacramento. He gets to show off the improved him.
“No one’s figured it out,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said of how to stop Thomas. “I leave it to eastern coaches to try and figure it out. We only have him twice a year. But he’s been magical, amazing, especially in the fourth quarter just watching him play. Watching him (score 38 points against the Lakers), obviously he could have chased 40, but when they trapped him he gave the ball up. He did what he does anyway. He’s learning the right way. I’m just amazed at his ability to finish in the paint. It’s just remarkable to watch. He’s amazing. What’s remarkable to me is that he scores in traffic so much. It would be one thing if he was just jacking threes, but he’s scoring in traffic.”
Add to the win streak
The Celts put their seven-game winning streak on the line in Sacramento. Thomas believes they can add some length to that streak.
“Just have to bring it on the defensive end. Offense will take care of itself,” he said. “We bring that energy we’ve had the last seven games, it puts us in good position.” . . .
The pain in Avery Bradley’s right Achilles has persisted enough that the guard missed his 15th game Sunday. He met with team physician Dr. Brian McKeon. According to coach Brad Stevens, Bradley will leave with the team today for Sacramento.
Loving the Green
Rivers talked of Pierce’s willingness to remain a Celtic during the pre- Kevin Garnett lean years. His love of the franchise’s history kept him focused.
“There’s not a lot of franchises around the NBA that are probably like the Boston Celtics,” he said. “I mean, I talk about history and talk about tradition. You talk about winning. There’s not a lot of franchises like that. You talk about Boston, you talk about Lakers, then you talk about Chicago. Just wanting to be a part of this history is something that meant a lot to me. You can’t say that about anywhere else.
“You got 30-something teams in the NBA and there’s only like three or four that have the true history, and for me to be a part of this, this history, all that started to happen with me. The Boston Celtics, with retired numbers, the championship banners, I wanted to be a part of that. When I got here, I understood the history. I talked to the former players, talked to Red Auerbach, talked to Bill Russell. That was something I wanted. I spent two or three years and it was like, I wouldn’t want to win anywhere else. These fans stick it out here through the thick and thin.”