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Thomas Fights Tooth and Nail for Game 1 Win

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BOSTON – The Boston Celtics fell behind the Wizards 22-5 during the opening minutes of Game 1 Sunday afternoon, but Isaiah Thomas fought tooth and nail to get his team back into the game.

Thomas had his left front tooth knocked out at around the 6:30 mark of the first quarter when he collided with Otto Porter Jr.'s elbow. Down 17 at the time, however, the point guard had no time to fret over the dental damage.

IT simply picked up the tooth and handed it to head athletic trainer Ed Lacerte, who then passed it on to team physician Dr. Brian McKeon. Then he grinded away against the Wizards, scoring a game-high 33 points to lead his Celtics to a 123-111 win.

“I was going for a steal and Porter’s elbow just hit me and it came out,” Thomas explained after the game. “I’ve taken a thousand hits like that and my tooth never came out.”

Thomas added that “pain is only temporary,” so he simply brushed the incident – and tooth – aside and balled out.

The All-Star had struggled to find his shot early in the game as he started off 0-for-3 from the field during the first five and a half minutes. However, once the tooth came out, he caught fire. Thomas immediately canned two 3-pointers on consecutive possessions and chipped away at Washington’s lead as he scored 12 points during the opening quarter.

“He and my 7-year-old daughter just gave each other the open-toothed smile and he made both 3s right after it fell out,” Brad Stevens said, before jokingly adding, “Maybe that tooth was holding him back a little.”

Thomas left the court and went back to the locker room with about two minutes remaining in the first quarter to have the tooth repositioned in his mouth. He returned to the floor three minutes into the second quarter, but it didn’t take long before it fell out again.

While there was a gap in Thomas’ smile, there were no gaps in his game. He shot 11-of-23 from the field, made five 3-pointers, dished out nine assists and committed just two turnovers during the win.

It was an incredible performance from Thomas, but not just because of his ability to push past the dental injury. In truth, that incident pales in comparison to what he has gone through over the last two weeks and particularly over the past 24 hours.

On Saturday, Thomas attended the funeral of his 22-year-old sister Chyna, who was tragically killed in a car accident one day before Game 1 of Boston’s first-round series against the Chicago Bulls. He delivered a heartfelt eulogy for his sister before boarding a plane and heading back to Boston.

Thomas said he didn’t land until 4 a.m. – just nine hours before game time – but that didn’t stop him from hitting the court for Game 1 against Washington.

“I tried to get as much sleep as I could on the flight and then when I got home this morning,” said Thomas. “It’s tough, but it’s the Playoffs. There’s no excuse.”

Stevens also pushed the tooth mishap aside, stating his astonishment for Thomas’ composure in the light of the recent, devastating events.

“Obviously [losing the tooth] hurts and that’s not fun, but in comparison to what he’s gone through, even he was laughing and pseudo-smiling about it there for a while,” said Stevens. “But what he’s been able to do – I’ve used the word unfathomable, and I stick with that. I can’t imagine being able to do it myself if I were in the same situation. He’s incredible.”

Despite all of the misfortune Thomas has been dealt over the last couple of weeks, he was in good spirits Sunday afternoon as he joked about his toothless situation.

“It just bothers me to talk,” he said, acknowledging his lisp with a chuckle. “My tongue goes right through my tooth. I’ve never had dental problems so this is new. I’ve always had teammates that I’ve clowned about their tooth being out, now I’m one of them. So hopefully we can replace it as soon as possible.”

In the meantime, Thomas will tuck the tooth under his pillow and hope the Tooth Fairy brings him another win Tuesday night when the Celtics host the Wizards for Game 2.