Thomas Scores 21 In Ejection-Shortened Debut For Celtics
BOSTON (CBS) -- Isaiah Thomas made his Boston Celtics debut Sunday night, fittingly against the team he grew up rooting for.
That team also just happens to be the one that holds a historic rivalry with the Celtics -- the Los Angeles Lakers.
Thomas, acquired from the Phoenix Suns ahead of last Thursday's trade deadline, suited up for the Celtics for the first time in Boston's 118-111 loss in L.A., scoring 21 points off the bench.
The young guard showed his offensive prowess in his 25 minutes of play, going 6-for-13 from the floor while adding three assists, five rebounds and a pair of steals. He exploded in the lane for some impressive driving layups, hit three of his seven attempts from three-point range, and also went to the free throw line seven times.
Thomas also showed off his competitive fire. He was ejected with 5:03 remaining in the game following a very questionable offensive foul call, getting hit with a pair of technical fouls after arguing with officials about the call. He apologized to his new team for getting ejected in such a close game following the loss.
Sunday night capped off a busy week for Thomas. Following Thursday's trade, he was in Boston by Friday, where he watched the Celtics-Kings game that evening with Danny Ainge. He then had his team physical on Saturday before flying out and joining the team in Los Angeles.
By Sunday morning he was on the floor with his new team, and by Sunday night he was doing what he does best in his new uniform.
It's a uniform Thomas hopes he's wearing for some time.
"Hopefully, I can be here for a while and make things happen," he told reporters.
A Tacoma, Washington native, Thomas grew up a Lakers fan. His father, James, is a die-hard Lakers fan, but it hasn't been as awkward as one might think since Thursday's transaction.
Usually, Laker fans refuse to wear green, and Celtics fans refuse to wear gold and purple (at least during the NBA season). But James has already picked up a Celtics hat, and Thomas said the rest of his family will now be going green as well.
Thomas and the Celtics are back in action Monday night against his former team, the Phoenix Suns.