Just as the Sixers were establishing their insurmountable lead against the Celtics Tuesday, Isaiah Thomas was reeling off eight straight points in his return to the NBA.
Talk about a gut punch.
Thomas inked a 10-day contract with the Pelicans last week, and on Tuesday, played in his first professional basketball game in 14 months. The beloved point guard underwent hip surgery last May, finally addressing the nagging injury that derailed his upward ascent. He says this is the best he’s felt in years.
“I'm 102%. I'm more than good," Thomas told reporters this week. “This is the best I ever felt since before I got injured. It's not even a question no more.”
Thomas came out firing Tuesday, collecting eight points in his first nine minutes. His first basket since February 2020 was a smooth three-pointer from the top of the key.
While Kyrie Irving is an infinitely better player than Thomas — making it silly to criticize Danny Ainge for swapping the two — Thomas is much more likable. His postseason performance in 2017, in which he dropped 53 points against the Wizards on his sister’s birthday just days after she died in a car accident, will forever be part of Boston sports lore.
Meanwhile, Irving’s dismal effort against the Bucks in 2019 will go down as one of Boston’s all-time playoff embarrassments.
Now, Thomas didn’t finish as well as he started, going 4-for-13 from the floor overall. The Hawks defeated New Orleans 123-107.
But for a few moments, the contrast was inescapable. While the Celtics were slogging through another dismal effort, Thomas was heating up.
Why can't we get players like that?