Chicago Bulls: Takeaways From Game 1 Win Over Boston Celtics

Apr 16, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler (21) goes to the basket past Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) and center Kelly Olynyk (41) during the third quarter in game one of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /

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Apr 16, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) gets a hug from guard Avery Bradley (0) after hitting a shot against the Chicago Bulls during the first quarter in game one of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /

Have To Tip Your Hat Off To Isaiah Thomas

Everything the Celtics like to do from an offensive standpoint centers around Isaiah Thomas. And being that he was their leading scorer with 28.9 points per game, it is easy to see why that is the case.

A day before this series began, though, his availability for Game 1 was somewhat in doubt, as his sister was killed in an automobile accident early Saturday morning.

Taking this tragic turn of events into consideration, no one would have blamed Thomas for sitting this one out and choosing to be with his family during such a difficult time.

Instead, Thomas decided to play and he had a solid performance to say the least. In 38 minutes of action, he scored a game-high 31 points on 10-for-18 shooting from the field to go along with six assists and five rebounds.

It is also worth noting that Thomas attempted at many free throws as Jimmy Butler (12), and finished with a plus-12 rating — the highest mark of any player in a Celtics uniform.

While he had his struggles down the stretch (more on that later), the Celtics don’t come close to winning this game without their point guard who was playing with a heavy heart.

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