BOSTON - It's that time of the season for a lot of NBA players. They're feeling those bumps and bruises taken through the first 50 games of the season, and eyeing that All-Star Break about a week away.
Isaiah Thomas is certainly no exception to this rule, though his break is going to be busier than most as he'll be attending All-Star Weekend up in Toronto.
Thomas needed to get maintenance on his body after Wednesday's hard-fought win over the Detroit Pistons in which Boston built a 24-point lead, saw the Pistons cut it to seven late in the fourth quarter, and held them off in the final two minutes.
Though Thomas' 17 points is below his season average, he added seven assists and five rebounds while finishing as a team-high plus-14. He also came through in a big way late in the fourth with a layup plus the foul to stretch the C's lead from eight to 11.
The Pistons did drop 35 points in the fourth quarter, making a game out of things after the C's built a huge lead. But Thomas was a big part of the team's first-half defensive success in which they held the Pistons to 36 points on 29.5-percent shooting from the field. The Celtics led by 20 at the half, and Thomas was a plus-20, too.
"We just got a group of guys that can defend at a high level," Thomas said. "Group of guys that defend on the string and help each other out. That's what defense is about. Half the battle is talking and communicating and the other half is just having the pride to go out there and stop the opponent. So we have a lot of guys that take pride in that and it makes it easier for the rest of the guys."
Thomas is obviously not known as a lock-down defender. Danny Ainge traded for him because the team needed offense, and that's what Thomas is: instant offense.
So when he arrived in Boston last season, did Stevens pull him aside and talk defense with him? Thomas couldn't help but crack a smile and laugh at that question.
"Nah, he talked to me about scoring that ball. He didn’t tell me about that part."
But defense is contagious, and though Thomas will always be looked at as an offensive-minded player, he's at least holding his own on the defensive end. Pistons guards Reggie Jackson and Brandon Jennings combined for 22 points on 7-for-17 shooting against the Celtics.
Their success as a team depends on their defense.
"But, yeah, that’s our identity, that’s definitely our identity," Thomas said. "We want to be known for that. [Stevens] just says, whatever your job is, do it at the best of your ability but know we have to hold our hats on the defensive end."