WALTHAM, Mass. -- Ever the student of the game, Boston Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas can nonchalantly recall some of the NBA’s most memorable Game 7 performances of the past two decades.
Paul Pierce and LeBron James dueling in 2008. All of Kobe Bryant’s top game-deciding moments (though Thomas was careful not to pinpoint a certain title-clinching performance against the Celtics in 2010). Allen Iverson and Vince Carter jousting in 2001.
Now, Thomas has an opportunity to carve out his own place in Game 7 lore.
In a season in which Thomas' star has risen to new heights and in a postseason in which he has faced unimaginable grief, Thomas will play his first career Game 7 on Monday, when the Celtics host the Washington Wizards at TD Garden.