Monday night's game between the Celtics and the Wizards was supposed to feature a nice little matchup between Isaiah Thomas and John Wall.
Apparently, neither got that message.
Instead, it turned into a one-sided event as the Celtics pulled away in the second half and left John Wall in the dust.
"As a team we handled business," Thomas said. "When that happens there's really no 1-on-1 action available. So we just played overall a good game and I tried to do what it takes to win the game."
Wall struggled from the start, as at one point in the third quarter he was 1-for-8 from the field. He finished 3-for-11 for eight points, the second-lowest scoring output of the season, and 10 assists.
Thomas was another story. He led the Celtics from the start, going into halftime with a game-high 14 points and finishing with 23 points and nine assists - and that's without playing the fourth quarter.
It's Thomas sixth straight 20-plus point game and 13th over his last 16 games, so it's not like he's only motivated to go up against other top guards in the league. But it certainly doesn't hurt.
"I'd say that obviously you're always excited when you're a guy like Isaiah who's got a chip on his shoulder to challenge himself against the best," Brad Stevens told reporters. "But I think Isaiah is pretty consistent with regardless of who we're playing and how he approaches every night. That's what makes him good. You can't average or do what he's doing on a nightly basis if you don't have the humility to show every single night. So he's got a nice swagger about him but he also respects the game and respects everybody. But certainly he's excited to play against guys like John Wall."
Thomas admitted that it does add a little motivation when he sees an All-Star guard on the other side. After all, he's trying to prove he's an All-Star, too.
"You could say that. Anybody in this league though is good, especially at the point guard position.," Thomas told reporters. "Every night you're facing one of the top guys in the NBA. So you gotta be up for that, gotta be motivated. And I'm a competitor. So whether you put John Wall or anybody out there, I want to outplay them and get the win. And that's just been my mindset since I was a young boy."