2017 NBA Playoffs Roundup, Day 17: Isaiah Thomas' career night, Warriors feast inside
May 2, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas (4) reacts after scoring a three point basket during the fourth quarter in game two of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs against the Washington Wizards at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
On day 17 of 2017 NBA Playoffs Roundup, Isaiah Thomas submits a legendary Game 2 performance against the Wizards and the Warriors feast inside on the Jazz.
Three conference semifinals series are starting to look like one-sided affairs in the 2017 NBA Playoffs, but the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards matchup has been far more entertaining than the 2-0 series count indicates.
In Game 2 Tuesday night, Isaiah Thomas submitted a legendary performance in front of a roaring TD Garden, made all the more memorable because it came on the 23rd birthday of his sister, who recently died in a tragic car accident.
Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors coasted to a Game 1 win over the Utah Jazz on a night where they weren't even at their best — a sign of strength for the Dubs, and a seriously daunting one for the Jazz.
As we advance deeper into the postseason, we'll be taking a look back on what stood out from each night of playoff action. Here's our Day 17 roundup.
IT's Legendary Night
Game 2 felt like a replay of Game 1. The Boston Celtics trailed by 14 at the end of the first quarter, just like they did in Game 1. They feasted on Washington's horrible bench to climb back in the game in the second quarter, just like they did in Game 1. And despite trailing big, they wound up winning by double digits, just like they did in Game 1.
In the series opener, it was a barrage of Celtics three-pointers that did the Wizards in. In Game 2, it was the smallest warrior on the court scoring the second-most points in franchise history.
Isaiah Thomas scores 29 of his career-high 53 in the 4th and OT to lead @Celtics! #NBAPlayoffs #ItsNotLuck pic.twitter.com/cgz2Yi141P
— NBA (@NBA) May 3, 2017
With a playoff career-high of 53 points, Isaiah Thomas was everything his team needed him to be in its attempt to protect home-court. He went 18-for-33 from the floor, made five of 12 three-pointers, sank 12 of his 13 free throws and added in four assists, four rebounds and three steals for good measure.
But even in a 50-point performance, IT's impact somehow still extended beyond the numbers. The King of the Fourth absolutely took over down the stretch, wrestling the title of Game 2 hero firmly away from John Wall, who had dominated through the first three quarters.
In the fourth quarter and overtime, IT put up 29 points to will his team to victory. His free throws with 14.4 seconds left tied the game to force OT, and his three-point play over Markieff Morris in the extra period put him up to the half-century mark, providing Boston with a six-point cushion with just over a minute to play.
Celtics' Isaiah Thomas crosses up, then stares down, Wizards' Markieff Morris pic.twitter.com/JiI05hVJZ8
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) May 3, 2017
Supplying dagger after dagger, Thomas left the Wizards wondering what they did wrong after blowing two perfectly good opportunities to steal a game on the road. Considering all he's going through right now, what we've seen from the 5'9″ All-Star has been nothing short of legendary for a franchise that's produced its fair share of unforgettable moments.
May 2, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Washington Wizards point guard John Wall (2) defended by Boston Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas (4) during the first quarter in game two of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Wizards' Squandered Opportunities
The Washington Wizards are still alive in this series. After playing Boston so close on the road, there's a good chance they can return home to D.C. and tie this thing up in a building where they went 30-11 during the regular season.
That being said, at some point they'll need to win a game in the TD Garden to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, and Games 1 and 2 were devastatingly good opportunities to steal one on the road.
In Game 1, the Celtics caught fire to complete the 29-point turnaround after trailing 20-3 early in the first quarter. In Game 2, not even John Wall's tremendous performance could stifle the late-game heroics of Isaiah Thomas in his house.
But the Wizards really should've won one of those games considering how well they played. Wall finished with 40 points, 13 assists, three steals and three blocks on 16-of-32 shooting in Game 2, but it somehow wasn't enough.
Even worse, Wall and Bradley Beal had chances to win the game on the final possession, with both of their shots falling woefully short.
OVERTIME. #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/v9ze2rBNRh
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 3, 2017
Beal was a disappearing act all game, finishing with 14 measly points and six turnovers on a disastrous 4-of-15 shooting night (1-for-9 from deep). After putting up 10 points in eight first quarter minutes, Markieff Morris scored just six points the rest of the way.
Seven Wizards players scored in double figures, but goose eggs from Brandon Jennings and Bojan Bogdanovic made it impossible for Scott Brooks to trust his bench, which might explain why Wall was so burned out by the time the fourth rolled around.
While IT was burying Washington with 29 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, Wall finished with just five. Beal needs to be better, but it's more than alarming the Wizards are in an 0-2 hole in this series despite how well their superstar point guard has played.
May 2, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots the basketball against Utah Jazz center Boris Diaw (33) during the second quarter in game one of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Warriors Feast Inside
Because the Golden State Warriors are so damn good at lighting opponents up from the outside, people often forget that their offensive firepower extends far beyond being a three-point shooting team.
In Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinals series against the Utah Jazz, the Dubs surprised the NBA's third-ranked defense by absolutely obliterating them inside.
Though the Warriors were actually outscored 46-44 in points in the paint, everyone knew the Jazz were going to try and capitalize on their size advantage. With bodies like Derrick Favors, Rudy Gobert and the ever-rotund Boris Diaw, Utah's best chance at making life difficult for Golden State was to punish them on the boards and in the paint.
Unfortunately for Utah, the results didn't quite follow.
The @warriors cruised to a 129-119 Game 1 win over the Jazz on the 10-year anniversary of "We Believe!" #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/Ew5Gz6hEzL
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 3, 2017
In a game where the Warriors only made seven of their 29 three-pointers — compared to 9-of-29 for the Jazz — they were still able to comfortably lead thanks to 62.3 percent shooting from inside the arc.
Golden State blitzed one of the league's slowest teams for 29 fast break points and turned only 13 Utah turnovers into 20 points. Every slight miscue the Jazz made, the Warriors punished them for it.
Stephen Curry in particular was incredible in this regard, blowing by Jazz who were playing him too close to take away the three-ball and finishing in the lane against a defense designed to keep people out.
Steph Curry dances on the perimeter and drives for the @Gatorade Smooth Finish of the Week! pic.twitter.com/wyZafFuCwd
— NBA (@NBA) May 3, 2017
Curry converted all three of his looks at the rim, pulled up to knock down three of his four midrange jumpers and still managed to lead his team in scoring on a night where he shot just 1-for-4 from downtown.
The Warriors will need to be better from three-point range moving forward, but it has to be dispiriting for Utah that their plan to limit Golden State's long range attack worked on a night where they outshot the Dubs from downtown…and still lost by 12.
May 2, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27, left) and forward Joe Johnson (6, right) sit on the bench during the fourth quarter in game one of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Jazz 106-94. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Any Adjustments For Utah?…Anyone?
So let's get this straight. The Utah Jazz scored 46 points in the paint, won the battle for the boards by seven, made two more three-pointers than the Warriors and only committed 13 turnovers in Game 1…and STILL lost by 12?
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Heading into the series, Utah's length and frontcourt personnel were supposed to create matchup problems for the Dubs. Though one side was clearly the favorite, the Jazz were as well built to challenge them on the defensive end as anyone.
Unfortunately, that wasn't really the problem in Game 1. Utah actually did a fair job limiting Golden State's long range attack, holding them to 7-for-29 shooting from deep (24.1 percent), but that's the beautiful and terrifying thing about the Warriors: They can beat you in so many different ways.
In the series opener, they did it with defense. Draymond Green was all over the place, Gordon Hayward was held to 4-of-15 shooting and Golden State only surrendered 12 free throw attempts to a much larger frontcourt.
The Jazz have had a great season, winning 51 games and reaching the Western Conference semifinals despite so many injuries to so many different players. Unfortunately, the only adjustments Utah can make — Hayward shooting better, getting to the line more — may not even matter in the wake of a simply superior team.
Think about it this way: Can the Jazz really play much better than they did in Game 1 as far as limiting the three-point onslaught, the most potent aspect of the Warriors' top-ranked offense? Those shooters are going to get loose eventually, and when they do, there won't be many adjustments Utah can make to keep up.
