CelticsLife Awards 2017: Game of the Year, Playoffs
CANDIDATES, GAME OF THE YEAR, PLAYOFFS
Game Two - Washington Wizards - Celtics, (OT) 129 - 119
- Game Two fell on what would have been Chyna Thomas' 23rd birthday
- Isaiah Thomas was still recovering from dental surgery several hours in duration
- IT dropped 53 points, including 29 after the third quarter
- Most of any player in the playoffs since Allen Iverson in 2003 (55)
- Most for a Celtic since John Havlicek put up 54 points in a playoff game in 1973
- Al Horford added 15 points and 12 boards; Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder 14 points too
Game Seven- Washington Wizards - Celtics, 115 - 105
- Isaiah logged 29 points and 12 assists in his first Game Seven of his NBA career
- Kelly Olynyk went off for a career-high 26 points in the playoffs
- 11 of Boston's final 18 points came from Kelly, effectively sealing the win and series for the Cs
Game Three Eastern Conference Finals - Cleveland Cavaliers - Celtics, 111 - 108
- The game came down to Avery Bradley's last-second dagger, bouncing on the rim before going in
- Marcus Smart was the hero of the night, though, with 27 points and seven assists
- Smart shot seven-of-10 from deep, inverting his regular-season average, among the NBA's worst
- Bradley chipped in 20 points, Horford 16, Olynyk 15, and Crowder 14 points and 11 rebounds
- Even Jonas Jerebko got fiery, calling out Kevin Love for flopping
Luis Gonzalez: Who would've thought that the savior for the Boston Celtics’ postseason would be Kelly Olynyk? After a season full of infuriating inconsistencies and nagging what-ifs, Kelly came through when the Celtics needed him most. Isaiah Thomas’ and Marcus Smart's big nights were definitely important, but for me it was easily the "Kelly Olynyk Game" that made the playoffs worth watching.
Justin Quinn: I feel like a broken record saying this, but it was clearly Isaiah’s huge night on what would have been his sister’s birthday, overcoming not just that emotional pain, but the physical pain he endured from the nagging hip injury and multiple dental surgeries. I definitely loved the drama and energy of Kelly Olynyk showing the world what he can do when he's aggressive and locked-in, and Marcus reminding me of why I was so excited when we drafted him with his amazing Game Three performance in the Eastern Conference Finals, but neither of these would have happened without IT4 putting it all on the floor that night in the TD Garden.
Josh Coyne: In a truly legendary performance against the Washington Wizards in Game Two, Isaiah scored the most points in a postseason game since Allen Iverson put up 55 points against the New Orleans Hornets all the way back in the 2003 NBA Playoffs. This one truly cemented IT’s place in the pantheon of Celtics folklore. No contest in my opinion, Game Two was the matchup of the series.
WINNER: Game Two - Washington Wizards - Celtics, (OT) 129 - 119
Avery Bradley's three-pointer that dropped with 0.1 seconds to go gave the Celtics the win over the Cavs in Game 3. https://t.co/h4fVSmKZUW— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) May 22, 2017
NEXT UP: Play of the Year, Regular Season
PREVIOUSLY: Best Individual Performance, Regular Season ; Best Individual Performance, Playoffs ; Game of the Year, Regular Season
For more stories about the 2016-17 season on CelticsLife, click here. For more by Justin, click here.
