Isaiah Thomas (YouTube)
Isaiah Thomas played unhinged Tuesday night, and there was good reason for it.
The Boston Celtics guard single-handedly led his team back from a double-digit deficit late in the third quarter during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Washington Wizards. And it didn’t stop there. Not even close.
Thomas made shot after shot in the fourth quarter and willed his team to take the lead. The Wizards tied it to bring it to overtime, but Thomas just couldn’t be stopped. He scored 29 points between the fourth quarter and overtime to finish with an eye-popping 53 points and help the Celtics to the Game 2 win.
The incredible performance happened to come on a day that was very special to him and his family: his sister Chyna’s birthday.
Chyna, who was killed in a car accident April 15 in Federal Way, Washington, would have been 23-years old May 2.
After the game, Isaiah spoke about dedicating the game and his performance to his deceased sister. To hear Thomas’ comments during the interview with TNT’s David Aldridge, watch the video below:
According to Seattle Kiro 7 News, witnesses saw Chyna’s Toyota Camry driving normally before it started to drift toward the shoulder of the road. The car kept moving toward it until it struck a concrete barrier and crashed head-on with a sign post.
Her death occurred just two days before the Celtics were set to play Game 1 of the the opening round against the Chicago Bulls.
During shootaround, Thomas was consoled by a teammate on the bench as he tears streamed down his face. They continued when he was introduced to the home crowd right before the game.