Story By: Erin Zollars
Photos By: Sol Tucker
Boston, MA–
Sometimes it takes personal tragedy in your life to motivate to do something greater to pay tribute. Tonight Isaiah Thomas on the date of his sisters birthday did just that scoring 53 points, a career night to lead the Celtics to a 129-119 overtime victory in Game 2 against the Wizards.
Just one day before, Thomas, spent an entire day in the dentist chair trying to correct the missing tooth knocked out in Game 1, but it never came to his mind that he would sit this game, again showing the toughness he has endured over the past week.
“The least I can do is go out there and play for her,” Thomas said after scoring 53 points, the second-highest total in Celtics playoff history.
The 53 points were the most in an NBA playoff game since Allen Iverson scored 55 in 2003, and just one shy of John Havlicek’s franchise postseason record of 54.
For the Wizards, they had trouble scoring outside of John Wall and Bradley Beal.
Wall did hit for 40 points tonight and was asked after the game if he ever thought he would be in a epic battle of guards in a playoff game.
Wall shook his head: “Nah,” he said. “Nope. Nope. Nope.”
One game after the Wizards scored the first 16 points of the game, they erupted for 42 points in the first quarter and opened a 13-point lead. Wall had 19 in the first to 15 for Thomas, but Boston erased the deficit in the second quarter and took a brief lead with just over a minute left before the half.
Throughout the game there were more physical altercations between Markeif Morris and Al Horford and other physical contact during the game that sent Otto Porter to the locker room with a bloody nose when be butted heads with Thomas. Thomas and Morris got into it, drawing double technicals; Thomas appeared to be having words with someone on the Wizards bench, and Morris tried to push him away.
“This is a tough series,” said Wizards Coach Scott Brooks. No one likes to go down 2-0, but we will go back to D.C where we have played well all season and worry about Game 3 on Thursday.
