The Boston Celtics only had one day’s worth of rest in between their first- and second-round playoff series. That minibreak was even shorter for Isaiah Thomas, who traveled cross-country and back in the last 48 hours to be with his family for his sister’s funeral.
Isaiah Thomas’ last 24 hours have not been easy after flying cross-country for sister’s funeral
Thomas left the team Friday to be with his family in Washington state for his sister’s funeral. He returned to Boston on Sunday.
Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Just a day before Game 1 of Boston’s first-round series against the Chicago Bulls, Thomas’ sister, Chyna, passed away in an automobile accident in Washington state. Thomas played the next day, somehow mustering the strength to score 33 points on 55 percent shooting.
But the All-Star guard conceded his mind was elsewhere for the playoffs. Instead, he was leaning on his teammates for the strength to play through the rest of the first round.
“Mentally and emotionally, I’m not here, so I just feed off what the guys give me,” Thomas said during his postgame press conference, according to ESPN’s Chris Forsberg. “[My teammates] give me a lot of confidence. I can’t do it without those guys. They believe in me.
“Being here is what makes me, I guess, sane. It makes me feel somewhat normal through these tough times.”
After dropping Games 1 and 2 in Boston, Thomas flew home to be with his family for a day. He then returned and helped guide the Celtics to four straight wins to advance to the second round.
Thomas’ family didn’t have a funeral for his sister during the first round, though. They wanted to wait for her older brother to have a break from basketball.
So immediately after Boston’s Game 6 win over Chicago on Friday, the All-Star guard flew back home to Tacoma, Washington to grieve the loss of his sister. He then returned to Boston, just in the nick of time, for Game 1 of Boston’s second-round series against the Washington Wizards on Sunday.
Thomas has been tough as nails all season long. It’s the reason why a point guard listed at 5’9” can fearlessly attack 7’0 rim protectors, averaging 28 points per game for the season in the process.
But this is a different type of toughness. What Thomas has endured would flatten most others. He’s taken it and still been able to produce for a Celtics team looking to dance with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
To get there, he’ll have to focus first on his second-round Wizards opponent, led by John Wall and Bradley Beal. And given the bad blood between these two teams, Boston will need all of its All-Star guard to move into the next round.
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