Boston Celtics Player of the Game (10/26)
Giving out player go the game honours for the Boston Celtics’ first victory of the season.
The Boston Celtics opened up their season on a high note, but it was not without a stressful final frame featuring an unexpected double digit comeback by the Brooklyn Nets‘ second unit. The Celtics looked great for just over three quarters across the board. The Nets did a lot of damage with the three point shot but the Celtics were getting solid contributions from everyone who saw the floor. Then, injuries eventually caught up to the second unit and a full court press that felt unbreakable forced to Celtics to just edge out a victory with their starters going back in for the final two minutes.
The Celtics got good contributions from some new faces, including nine points in Jaylen Brown‘s rookie debut. Al Horford made his presence felt with a balanced approach on offense and a solid four blocks on defense. Jae Crowder broke the 20 point barrier and Avery Bradley somehow managed to lead the team in rebounds. Tyler Zeller looked like himself from two years ago, with an efficient day on offense and even did a good job on defense with two blocks.
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The Celtics had plenty of performances to be happy about, but there was a clear player of the game and it comes at no surprise that Isaiah Thomas continues to set the tone and the standard for what needs to be done in a Celtics uniform. Leading the team with 25 points and nine assists, Thomas found that great balance between attacking and ball movement. He shot 50 percent from the field and remained an aggressive driver going nine for nine from the charity stripe. Thomas also contributed six rebounds and two steals for a team best plus 15.
The Celtics were at their best with Thomas on the court, and he continued to get the best out of his teammates. Not much can be bought into a performance against a defense as poor as the Nets, but Thomas kept the Celtics playing in rhythm and that lead to an incredible 36 total assists.
Thomas was seen diving on the floor and with his unexpected contributions on the defensive end, he continues to expand what can be expected of him. This may not have been the most prolific game for Thomas, but he did a great job of displaying the multitude of ways that he makes the Celtics better.
He could have padded his statistics even more had Stevens not gone to his bench so early in the fourth, as he can certainly expect to get more than 33 minutes played in games that are competitive throughout.
Next: Preseason Evaluation of Jaylen Brown
The Celtics knew they had to come out with a victory tonight and Thomas picked up right where he left off last season. Expect Thomas to earn plenty of player of the game honours this year because, even with the added talent, he continues to cement the fact that this is his team and he is taking on the responsibility to carry them more than anyone else. Although, Horford may have something to say about that in the future.