Celtics draw f irst blood vs. Wizards
All-Star continues to overcome adversity, scoring 33 points after painful collision.
Thomas loses front tooth but proceeds to score 33 points as Boston takes 1-0 lead in series.
BOSTON — It seems nothing can stop Isaiah Thomas this postseason — be it pains big or small.
The All-Star led the Boston Celtics to a first-round win over Chicago in a haze after learning the day before that series began that his younger sister, Chyna Thomas, had died in a car accident outside of his native Tacoma, Wash.
That pain persisted on the eve of Boston’s secondround pairing with the Washington Wizards, when he flew cross-country to attend her funeral.
Then Sunday’s game brought the latest dose of adversity, when he had one of his front teeth dislodged after an early game collision. But as he's done all postseason, he continued to find a way to push through it.
Thomas had 33 points and nine assists, and the Celtics made 19 three-pointers to beat the Wizards 123-111 and take a 1-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal matchup.
“I got in at 4 a.m.,” Thomas said of his second flight to Washington in two weeks. “It’s tough, but it’s the playoffs so there are no excuses. I decided to play and I just tried to give it all for my team.”
The Celtics star flew to the funeral with Danny Ainge, Boston’s president of basketball operations, and assistant coach Jerome Allen. During player introductions, Thomas pointed to the TD Garden rafters when his name was called.
Al Horford added 21 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for Boston. Jae Crowder finished with career playoff-high 24 points.
The Wizards were more energetic at the outset, jumping out to a 16-0 advantage and leading by as many as 17 points. But the Celtics rallied with Thomas briefly sidelined while getting his tooth repositioned in the second quarter.
“I didn't know if we’d ever score and I didn’t know if they’d ever stop scoring,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said.
Washington starter Markieff Morris played just 11 minutes before leaving because a sprained left ankle in the second quarter. The Wizards also had a tough time responding after Stevens started Marcus Smart in place of Gerald Green in the third quarter.
A rivalry has been simmering between the teams since last year, when Boston swept the season series.
They split their four regular-season matchups this season, but each included intense moments.
Sunday’s matchup was played at just as high a level, with a frenzied pace at times and physical play underneath the basket.
After the Wizards’ early scoring flurry, Thomas lost his tooth but initially kept playing. He found it during a timeout, but started the second quarter in the locker room. His teammates went on a 13-2 run without him to cut into Washington’s lead. Boston led by 15 by the end of the third.