Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big story line. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
Well. That certainly was something, wasn’t it?
Guys. Not only did IT score more points in a quarter than any other Celtic, he dang near tied the NBA record for most points in the 4th quarter period. The record holder? Well, it’s still Wilt. From his 100 point game.
But that, really, is all you need to know about what happened last night. IT set a Celtics record and dang near tied a record that’s stood for 54 years.
So, in keeping with that, and in no particular order, the best of the early coverage of that little romp:
“Your dad killed us out there”
Whiteside was hit in the right eye during the game, and now he was squinting and his eye was red. Thomas’s 4-year-old son, Jaiden, noticed Whiteside’s eye.
“What happened to you?” he asked.
Whiteside smiled.
“Your dad killed us out there,” he said. “That’s what happened.”
Thomas needed a team that believed he could be a star
The Celtics needed a star and Thomas needed a team that believed he could be a star. He truly felt nobody in his past did, not the Kings, not the Phoenix Suns.
So he has embraced the Boston community. He has become a fixture here because of his charitable work with children. In the most sincere way, Thomas still views himself as a kid, and not just because of his size. He still views himself as an underdog.
“It was a pretty special, memorable night.”
Stevens’ team trailed by five points with 9:27 left.
Incredibly, that was enough time for Thomas to pack together six 3-pointers, five free throws, a layup, and an and-one bucket near the rim. Several times throughout the fourth quarter he heard M-V-P chants, which scared him, he joked, because he felt more pressure to make the ensuing shot.
…
Added Stevens: “We say sometimes, ‘It’s somebody’s first night watching you, somebody’s first night here.’ And whoever was here for the first time, it was a pretty special, memorable night. And that’s a cool, cool thing.”
(BTW: look at that: six three pointers, five free throws and two layups in 9:21 seconds of basketball–in the fourth quarter with the game on the line)
“He was making it happen.”
As if his teammates screaming at him to finish off his epic fourth-quarter scoring performance wasn’t enough, Isaiah Thomas looked into the crowd at TD Garden in the final minutes of Friday’s game against the Miami Heat to find his own mother screaming at him.
“I looked in the stands, and my mom was like, ‘Fifty! Fifty!’ and I’m like, ‘I’m trying!'” Thomas said.
…
“[Thomas] just took over the game,” Horford said. “We were struggling. Before the game he was like, ‘We have to win this game. He was so determined.’ He backed it up. He went out there and took over the game.
“It feels really good to have a guy like that on my team. I was just saying earlier, this is special. I know he was trying to give us credit, but he was out there on his own, man. There were no screens, there was no nothing, he was making it happen.
Thomas was simply everything
Thomas was simply everything for Boston on a night when little else went right – especially in the fourth quarter when he played all 12 minutes before leaving to a standing ovation with 6.2 seconds on the clock.
Marcus Thornton and Skal Labissière.
That's what the Celtics gave up to get Isaiah Thomas.
They were 45-87 before the trade.
88-58 since.
— Sean Grande (@SeanGrandePBP) December 31, 2016
IT on missing Wilt's 4th quarter scoring record by 2 points: "I shouldn’t be in the same conversation. Maybe one day I can break that, maybe
— Mark Murphy (@Murf56) December 31, 2016
(I assume he means 31 points in a 4th quarter)
Horford: "They were tough, contested shots. That's what I feel like is most impressive. People need to understand that that's special."
— Brian Robb (@BrianTRobb) December 31, 2016
Isaiah Thomas makes it 50 🔥🔥🔥 #NBAVote https://t.co/uxITnj878q
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 31, 2016
Page 2: Stop feeding the trolls
For years, Tanguay was what a former colleague of mine called a 42 regular — a guy who fit the suit jacket, Johnny Bravo-style, but never became a major player. A couple of years ago, he adopted a loose-cannon personality, and his profile grew. It’s why he’s one of the current survivors at CSN as it shifts its focus. You don’t have to search far to see other personalities in the market attempting to do the same thing. It’s practically a matter of survival.
This is the trickle-down effect of a sports media universe in which Skip Bayless— a journeyman sports columnist in his past professional life — makes a reported $6.5 million a year to shriek his contrivances about LeBron James, Tim Tebow, and other often-trending names on Fox Sports 1.
Chad Finn with good advice that, alas, like most good advice, will not find widespread acceptance. I’m trying to figure out when we decided that what we want most is to be made angry about stuff that, in the grand scheme of things is not that important–that is, take what gives you pleasure from it, and ignore the rest.
If you want some solid, Simpsons based advice on how to cope with Gary Tanguay, etc., see the following:
Finally: Kevin & Kevin
The Teacher & the Student
Kevin McHale and KG are the “Zen Masters” of the post…#KGArea21 pic.twitter.com/mckdiJ5sKn
— KG's Area 21 (@KGArea21) December 30, 2016
Kevin Garnett and Kevin McHale on the ☘Boston Celtics☘ winning tradition…#KGArea21 pic.twitter.com/yrBdM2ufyJ
— KG's Area 21 (@KGArea21) December 30, 2016
Many more cool clips here
The rest of the links
MassLive: Gerald Green, Boston Celtics wing, apparently drinks hot chocolate on the bench | Isaiah Thomas scores 52: Boston Celtics guard ties team record for 3-pointers & more stats | Isaiah Thomas’ career-high 52 points send Boston Celtics past Miami Heat, 117-114
CSNNE: ‘A perfect way to close out the year’ | Horford: Thomas ‘on another level’ in career night vs. Heat | Scalabrine: Thomas keeps on disproving everyone out there | Postgame reaction to Isaiah Thomas’ career night vs. Heat | Forsberg: Have to put Thomas in conversation of elite scorers
Providence Journal: Celtics Journal: Training falls by wayside on the road
NESN: Celtics Wrap: Isaiah Thomas Drops Career-High 52 Points in 117-114 Win
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