BOSTON (CBS) -- Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg said Isaiah Thomas was "impossible to guard" on Sunday night, but the didn't mean it as a compliment.
Following Boston's Game 4 victory, Hoiberg made a plea to NBA officials: Please call Isaiah Thomas for carrying the ball.
"He had a hell of a game tonight. But when you're allowed to discontinue your dribble on every possession, he is impossible to guard. He's impossible to guard when you're able to put your hand underneath the ball and take two or three steps and put it back down. It's impossible to guard him in those situations," said Hoiberg.
Isaiah laughed off the claims following his 33-point performance in Game 4. Celtics head coach Brad Stevens kindly disagreed with Hoiberg's comments on a conference call on Monday.
"I don't [think Isaiah Thomas carries the ball]. No," Stevens told reporters when asked what may have led to Hoiberg's comments.
"I think there's a reason why the best scorers are really hard to guard, and in Isaiah's case, it's not any different than some of the other better scorers. He's just got a tremendously high skill level, a tremendous change of pace, and you know, he's just a hard guy to guard. He's a hard guy to keep in front of," explained Stevens.
Stevens isn't about to get into a media war with Hoiberg, who he said he's known for quite some time and thinks highly of. He added that any coach is free to use his press conferences as he pleases.
"I'm not going to say what I would or wouldn't do with regard to with what somebody else chooses to say. That's certainly, any time you're in front of a podium, you have the right to say whatever you want to say. Ultimately, I'm not putting a lot of weight into that," he said of Hoiberg's comments. "I think Isaiah's one of the best scorers in the league, and like the other really good scorers, he's hard to guard because of his skill, his change of pace and his explosion. You go through the guys in the league that are hardest to guard, there's a reason they're hard to guard.
"Whatever he wants to say is his prerogative, and I'm focusing on our team and coaching our team," added Stevens.
We'll have to see if Hoiberg's pleas are answered when the Celtics host the Bulls in Game 5 on Wednesday night.
WATCH: Isaiah Thomas Responds To Fred Hoiberg's Comments:
Brad Stevens 'Not Putting A Lot Of Weight' Into Fred Hoiberg's Comments On Isaiah Thomas
/ CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg said Isaiah Thomas was "impossible to guard" on Sunday night, but the didn't mean it as a compliment.
Following Boston's Game 4 victory, Hoiberg made a plea to NBA officials: Please call Isaiah Thomas for carrying the ball.
"He had a hell of a game tonight. But when you're allowed to discontinue your dribble on every possession, he is impossible to guard. He's impossible to guard when you're able to put your hand underneath the ball and take two or three steps and put it back down. It's impossible to guard him in those situations," said Hoiberg.
Isaiah laughed off the claims following his 33-point performance in Game 4. Celtics head coach Brad Stevens kindly disagreed with Hoiberg's comments on a conference call on Monday.
"I don't [think Isaiah Thomas carries the ball]. No," Stevens told reporters when asked what may have led to Hoiberg's comments.
"I think there's a reason why the best scorers are really hard to guard, and in Isaiah's case, it's not any different than some of the other better scorers. He's just got a tremendously high skill level, a tremendous change of pace, and you know, he's just a hard guy to guard. He's a hard guy to keep in front of," explained Stevens.
Stevens isn't about to get into a media war with Hoiberg, who he said he's known for quite some time and thinks highly of. He added that any coach is free to use his press conferences as he pleases.
"I'm not going to say what I would or wouldn't do with regard to with what somebody else chooses to say. That's certainly, any time you're in front of a podium, you have the right to say whatever you want to say. Ultimately, I'm not putting a lot of weight into that," he said of Hoiberg's comments. "I think Isaiah's one of the best scorers in the league, and like the other really good scorers, he's hard to guard because of his skill, his change of pace and his explosion. You go through the guys in the league that are hardest to guard, there's a reason they're hard to guard.
"Whatever he wants to say is his prerogative, and I'm focusing on our team and coaching our team," added Stevens.
We'll have to see if Hoiberg's pleas are answered when the Celtics host the Bulls in Game 5 on Wednesday night.
WATCH: Isaiah Thomas Responds To Fred Hoiberg's Comments:
In:- Boston Celtics
- Chicago Bulls
- NBA Playoffs
- Brad Stevens
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