PLAYOFFS - ROUND 1 - GAME 2: Bulls (1) @ Celtics (0) – 8:00PM, Tues. 04-18-17

Post #1 » by **Parliament10** » Mon Apr 17, 2017 1:41 am

2017 NBA Playoffs: Eastern Conference
First Round - Game 2

Isaiah Thomas scores 33 in Game 1 loss vs. Bulls after sister's death
Chris Forsberg | ESPN Staff Writer | 04-16-17

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/19172904/isaiah-thomas-boston-celtics-playing-game-1-vs-bulls-sister-death

BOSTON -- Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas scored a team-high 33 points Sunday night in Game 1 of Boston's first-round playoff matchup with the Chicago Bulls, one day after the death of his sister in a one-car crash.

Thomas, overcome with emotions multiple times before the start of Sunday's game, finished on 10-of-18 shooting with six assists and five rebounds over 38 minutes.

The Bulls emerged with a 106-102 triumph and lead the series 1-0. Game 2 is Tuesday night at TD Garden.

There was a moment of silence just before the playing of the national anthem before the 6:30 p.m. ET tipoff. Thomas bowed his head throughout, and tears dripped down his cheek.

He had led the team onto the floor and got a huge ovation from the Boston crowd. He was the last of the Celtics' starters to be introduced and was immediately surrounded by all his teammates. His sneakers have his sister's name, Chyna, written on them, along with "R.I.P. Lil Sis."

Read on Twitter

(1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Chicago Bulls

Game 1 – Sun. April 16 Chicago at Boston, 6:30 p.m., TNT/CSN
Game 2 – Tue. April 18 Chicago at Boston, 8 p.m., TNT/CSN
Game 3 – Fri. April 21 Boston at Chicago, 7 p.m., ESPN/CSN
Game 4 – Sun. April 23 Boston at Chicago, 6:30 p.m., TNT/CSN
Game 5 * Wed. April 26 Chicago at Boston, CSN/TBD
Game 6 * Fri. April 28 Boston at Chicago, CSN/TBD
Game 7 * Sun. April 30 Chicago at Boston, CSN/TBD

Green89 · Post #2 » by **Green89** » Mon Apr 17, 2017 1:50 am

IT, if he plays, may need to play the whole 4th, as we need a win. Not sure why Brad played him more in the 3rd than the 4th tonight. Some regular season games he played nearly all 12 minutes of the 4th, but in Game 1, he only played a bit over 8.

DK-All Day · Post #3 » by **DK-All Day** » Mon Apr 17, 2017 1:53 am

Must win game. If we lose this game, it's probably over in 4.

GoCeltics123 · Post #4 » by **GoCeltics123** » Mon Apr 17, 2017 1:58 am

Read on Twitter

This is just going from bad to worse

GreenBloodedC · Post #5 » by **GreenBloodedC** » Mon Apr 17, 2017 1:59 am

GoCeltics123 wrote:

Read on Twitter

This is just going from bad to worse

He deserves it. There are bigger and more important things than basketball. Too bad we could not get the win today.

Green89 · Post #6 » by **Green89** » Mon Apr 17, 2017 2:02 am

Just like the hot start to the season by the Bulls, they'll quickly realize they suck and we'll give them false hope with this game 1 win, and then destroy them the rest of the way. Let's go C's!!! I'm staying positive and say we can win this, even if IT doesn't play. Jaylen with a career high 24 points if Thomas doesn't go. Book it. And **** Portis.

Bar Fight · Post #7 » by **Bar Fight** » Mon Apr 17, 2017 2:30 am

No problem with any decision IT makes. Thankful he played tonight but if basketball is nowhere near his mind right now I don't blame him at all.

Bench has to show up. This series is on them. We're playing a team with very little depth. If we continue to get destroyed by the Bobby Portis', Cristiano Felicio's and Paul Zipser's of the world, we deserve to lose. And everyone on the bench save Jaylen needs to GTFO in the offseason.

GoCeltics123 · Post #8 » by **GoCeltics123** » Mon Apr 17, 2017 2:33 am

And yes, IT should be able to do what he wants. It just really sucks that this whole thing unfolded.

GoCeltics123 · Post #9 » by **GoCeltics123** » Mon Apr 17, 2017 2:33 am

Bar Fight wrote:No problem with any decision IT makes. Thankful he played tonight but if basketball is nowhere near his mind right now I don't blame him at all.

Bench has to show up. This series is on them. We're playing a team with very little depth. If we continue to get destroyed by the Bobby Portis', Cristiano Felicio's and Paul Zipser's of the world, we deserve to lose. And everyone on the bench save Jaylen needs to GTFO in the offseason.

Can't wait until Kelly is off this team

Marvel · Post #10 » by **Marvel** » Mon Apr 17, 2017 2:40 am

Crowder had better show up or stfu about anything Hayward related.

London2Boston · Post #11 » by **London2Boston** » Mon Apr 17, 2017 3:20 am

GoCeltics123 wrote:

Read on Twitter

This is just going from bad to worse

Understandable. Chalk this up as an L though and this series as over.

itlnsunsfan · Post #12 » by **itlnsunsfan** » Mon Apr 17, 2017 3:28 am

Well at least you guys' have the best chance in the lottery.

chrisab123 · Post #13 » by **chrisab123** » Mon Apr 17, 2017 3:56 am

Marvel wrote:Crowder had better show up or stfu about anything Hayward related.

Yeah see while people at ESPN made it a race thing the reality is this. Hayward in the lineup tonight and the Celtics beat Bulls in game 1. Crowder in the lineup? I rest my case. Hayward is just a much superior player.

London2Boston · Post #14 » by **London2Boston** » Mon Apr 17, 2017 4:06 am

chrisab123 wrote:
Marvel wrote:Crowder had better show up or stfu about anything Hayward related.

Yeah see while people at ESPN made it a race thing the reality is this. Hayward in the lineup tonight and the Celtics beat Bulls in game 1. Crowder in the lineup? I rest my case. Hayward is just a much superior player.

I've cooled on Crowder a lot , but Hayward is not preventing us from getting outrebounded by 20. You just don't let a playoff team have that many more possessions than you and get away with it. And if you say that he would have produced more every possession, he wouldn't come close to keeping Butler ghost for 3 quarters so it would have balanced out. The main issue is our bigmen(bar Horford) and rebounding. Unfortunately there is no fixing that via draft this class or via free agency outside of Blake(would solve the secondary scorer problem too) so just got to hope Zizic is for real.

chrisab123 · Post #15 » by **chrisab123** » Mon Apr 17, 2017 4:19 am

London2Boston wrote:
chrisab123 wrote:
Marvel wrote:Crowder had better show up or stfu about anything Hayward related.

Yeah see while people at ESPN made it a race thing the reality is this. Hayward in the lineup tonight and the Celtics beat Bulls in game 1. Crowder in the lineup? I rest my case. Hayward is just a much superior player.

I've cooled on Crowder a lot , but Hayward is not preventing us from getting outrebounded by 20. You just don't let a playoff team have that many more possessions than you and get away with it. And if you say that he would have produced more every possession, he wouldn't come close to keeping Butler ghost for 3 quarters so it would have balanced out. The main issue is our bigmen(bar Horford) and rebounding. Unfortunately there is no fixing that via draft this class or via free agency outside of Blake(would solve the secondary scorer problem too) so just got to hope Zizic is for real.

Problem is either Ainge or Brad do not believe that rebounding is an important aspect of the game. Blake isn't leaving LAC even if he was interested they would have him firmly behind Hayward in order of importance

Butler4thewin · Post #16 » by **Butler4thewin** » Mon Apr 17, 2017 6:10 am

GoCeltics123 wrote:

Read on Twitter

This is just going from bad to worse

When is the funeral? I hope he makes it back really would like a fair series

reload141 · Post #17 » by **reload141** » Mon Apr 17, 2017 6:30 am

If he doesn't play there is no excuses, this team needs to and should win Game 2. Even without Thomas.

Kalela · Post #18 » by **Kalela** » Mon Apr 17, 2017 6:39 am

As bad as Crowder was I don't even believe the Celtics need a top player to make this team better or more competitive. They are actually competitive when the starting line up plays even when one of them is having a terrible game. They just need actual serviceable bench players to to do that. This Celtics bench gives nothing to the team. Whatever lead the starters buildup is always lost when the bench comes in. Kelly Olynyk, for instance, gives you nothing at all because he does not defend and he does not score. It is so bad that it is better when he doesn't attempt to defend because there is less chance of giving up and-1s. Same with Green, Jerebko, Zeller, and so on and on. And Brad plays this bench way too many minutes. I understand him doing that in the regular season but, foul trouble aside, it doesn't make sense in the playoffs.

FlatearthZorro · Post #19 » by **FlatearthZorro** » Mon Apr 17, 2017 8:20 am

Bar Fight wrote:No problem with any decision IT makes. Thankful he played tonight but if basketball is nowhere near his mind right now I don't blame him at all.

Bench has to show up. This series is on them. We're playing a team with very little depth. If we continue to get destroyed by the Bobby Portis', Cristiano Felicio's and Paul Zipser's of the world, we deserve to lose. And everyone on the bench save Jaylen needs to GTFO in the offseason.

Yea I couldn't blame Jaylen either. He got 2 shots, made all 2. Just freaking poor effort by Olynyk, Green, Jae, Amir, Marcus(who again shot 9 shots and made only 3..)

FlatearthZorro · Post #20 » by **FlatearthZorro** » Mon Apr 17, 2017 8:21 am

Marvel wrote:Crowder had better show up or stfu about anything Hayward related.

That's weird to me too. Two years in a row dude doesn't show up in the playoffs then gets mad when the crowd cheers a far superior player to him.