Isaiah Thomas puts away Suns 4 days after trade to Celtics
It's safe to say that point guard Isaiah Thomas did not leave the Phoenix Suns under the best of circumstances. The deadline-day deal that sent him to the Boston Celtics came after much controversy and consternation involving Goran Dragic complaining that the addition of Thomas last offseason caused him not to trust the front office, which in turn made Thomas available in deals and essentially guaranteed his exit even when Dragic had already been moved to the Miami Heat. Thomas had reason to be unhappy happy that he was determined to be the most expendable of the Suns' three point guards (Eric Bledsoe is the only one who stayed), particularly after signing with Phoenix under very positive circumstances this summer.
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So, you know, maybe Thomas relished the fact that he got a chance at revenge on his old team just four days after his trade. The Suns hosted the Celtics on Monday night at Talking Stick Resort Arena, and Thomas played a big role in deciding the result. The diminutive guard scored nine of Boston's 15 points in the final three minutes of regulation to complete a 115-110 win. He did it with some verve, too, especially on this four-point play with roughly 1:40 on the clock:
Thomas also hit this dagger lay-up with 45 seconds left, but the most notable moment of the highlight may have been when he stared down the Suns bench in triumph:
Professional athletes are very competitive, so it's within reason to suggest that Thomas would have done the same thing against a random team he had not left under duress less than a week prior to the game. On the other hand, it's not as if this context is meaningless. He looks like a player with something to prove, even if just to the rest of the NBA and those who cover it.
After being ejected in his first game with the Celtics on Sunday, Thomas put up 21 points (6-of-16 FG, 3-of-8 3FG, 6-of-7 FT), seven assists, and five turnovers off the bench. Those stats accurately reflect the many ways in which he tried to affect the game (for better or worse) over his 27 minutes off the bench. Thomas thrives on activity, but he looked to have a special interest in making an impact on Monday.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at efreeman_ysports@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
