Isaiah Thomas is the backbone of the Boston Celtics, but through three playoff games the Cleveland Cavaliers have limited him by playing aggressive defense focused solely on stopping him. While Thomas averaged 22 points per game in the first two games of the series, it was due mostly to high volume.
But things unraveled when Thomas only scored five points off nine shots on Thursday. The Cavaliers contained him by pressuring him and forcing the ball out of his hands in pick-and-rolls, so Celtics head coach Brad Stevens quickly pulled the plug on his best scorer, since it just wasn't working.