After dropping a tough game to the Lakers in overtime on Sunday, the Celtics were able to let some of that frustration out against the team that traded them Isaiah Thomas just four days ago.
In a blowout turned thriller, it was Thomas who had the most frustration to vent after being traded by the Suns and then being ejected from his first game as a Celtic. He led the C’s (21-33) over the Suns (29-28), 115-110, Monday night in Phoenix.
Thomas had a late 4-point play, followed by an acrobatic finish at the rim that essentially sealed a Boston win after Phoenix had cut the deficit to just a single point in the fourth.
Avery Bradley had a game-high 23 points for the Celtics, while Thomas had his second 21-point game off the bench in as many games as a member of the Celtics. Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight led the way for the Suns, scoring 21 and 20 points respectively.
For a complete box score, click here.
ISAIAH FACTOR
In a pick-and-roll league like the NBA, having a player like Thomas is crucial. The Celtics now have an offensive threat — a player that draws double teams because he can come off of a pick and make a quick decision to pass, shoot or drive to the rim. At 5-foot-9 he’s small in stature, but his value to the Celtics going forward is enormous. Not to overreact to someone who figures to be just a piece of Boston’s future success, but if Thomas’ skill set is so obvious in just a couple of games with a depleted squad, just wait until he’s not the focal point of the opposing defense. You can see why Danny Ainge has been chasing Thomas these past couple years. He was an absolute game-changer down the stretch of the only game we’ve had the pleasure of watching him finish in green. Aside from his 21 points and seven assists, Thomas led his team by a wide margin in plus/minus, finishing as a plus-21 in his 27 minutes of play.
CREDIT AVERY BRADLEY
In WEEI.com’s recent Celtics roundtable I wrote that Bradley was the one guy that needed to improve his play. Maybe he’s been reading Green Street during his down time on the road trip? Bradley has been fantastic of late. He came out and set the tone early with 14 first quarter points, and then had a huge steal and 3-pointer late to help seal the victory. And he did it all while hounding the athletic backcourt of Bledsoe and Knight — finishing with six steals to go with his 23 points (8-for-14 from the field).
WHERE ARE THE BIGS?
With Kelly Olynyk still recovering from an ankle injury and Jared Sullinger now out for the rest of the regular season, size is tough to come by on the Celtics‘ active roster. Brandon Bass and Tyler Zeller both started in the front court, playing 30 and 36 minutes respectively, but those were the only two big men that played. Shavlik Randolph and Jonas Jerebko both did not play, which meant a lot of small ball for Brad Stevens. Jae Crowder (12 points, seven rebounds, four assists) played a lot of power forward during his 29 minutes on the floor, as did Gerald Wallace who logged 15 minutes.
HOT FIRST HALF
Remember when the Celtics had eclipsed 100 points by the end of the third quarter in an opening night win over the Nets? Well, that’s the only other time this season the C’s had scored 67 points in the first half — until they matched that number on Monday. They did so by shooting the lights out from downtown. The Green shot 10-for-17 from beyond the arc in the first half in Phoenix (and that number includes two deep heaves from Thomas at the end of each quarter — both misses). Bass also dominated the interior leading all first half scorers with 15.
CLASSIC COLLAPSE (UNTIL THE ISAIAH FACTOR)
If you’ve been following the Celtics this season then you saw this one coming. After building a lead of as many as 20 points in the early third quarter, the C’s found themselves leading by just one late in the fourth. This time, however, their newcomer was able to bail them out and closeout the win.