Isaiah Thomas definitely carries the ball on this possession (Video)
By John Buhler
The Boston Celtics dominated the Washington Wizards in the first quarter of Game 5, but did Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas get away with a blatant carry?
Game 5 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Semifinals between the No. 1 Boston Celtics and the No. 4 Washington Wizards is the pivotal game in this best-of-seven series. All tied up at two games apiece, the Game 5 winner will have their opportunity to lose in the Eastern Conference Finals to the No. 2 Cleveland Cavaliers in five or six games.
That being said, we’ve had one of the more entertaining series thus far between Boston and Washington. These two teams have had a budding rivalry from this regular season and it’s only intensified in this series. It also features two of the best point guards in the game in John Wall for the Wizards and Isaiah Thomas for the Celtics.
While Wall continues to impress as the most explosive playmaker in transition, Thomas continues to marvel with his great shooting ability in the half-court game. However, he may have carried the basketball like a New England Patriots tailback on this possession.
Thomas has a bit of a reputation as a guy that likes to spin the ball in his hand in between dribbles. In the Celtics’ first-round series against the Chicago Bulls, Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg made it abundantly clear that he hates it when Thomas carries the basketball.
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While this shot from the TNT cameras has the hesitation dribble slowed down a bit, the ball did rotate strangely near Thomas’ body. It must have been too sudden for the officials to pick up on it, but that sort of dribbling recklessness would have resulted in your high school basketball coach to stop practice and make your team run wind sprints until the end of time. This wasn’t Michigan Wolverines’ Chris Webber in the NCAA Finals, but yes, that was lazy dribbling by Thomas for sure.