Isaiah Thomas Gets His Flowers, and the Celtics Catch Fire in the Fourth
TD Garden has seen its fair share of unforgettable moments, but Friday night added another one to the list - and this one didn’t even happen on the court. Between the first and second quarters of Boston’s 129-116 win over the Miami Heat, the crowd erupted into a standing ovation when Isaiah Thomas appeared on the Jumbotron. The love was loud, long, and heartfelt - a full-throated tribute to a player whose impact in Boston still resonates.
“Outside of the fact I couldn't hear in the timeout, I thought it was a great gesture to have IT back,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said after the game. “He’s done so much for the city and really for the organization… it just says a lot about him, and he sets an example that yes, it’s about winning, but when you’re a high-character guy, people appreciate you and you’re able to leave the place a little better than you found it.”
That quote says it all. Thomas only spent two and a half seasons in Boston, but you’d think he was a lifer the way fans still talk about him.
Drafted dead last - 60th overall - he carved out a legacy that’s still very much alive in Boston. His 2016-17 season was the stuff of legend, capped by a top-five MVP finish and a reputation as the “King of the Fourth.”
He nearly averaged 10 points in the final quarter alone that year, turning crunch time into his personal stage.
So it was only fitting that on a night the Celtics honored Thomas, this year’s squad decided to channel a little of his magic - and they did it in the most IT way possible: by absolutely torching the Heat in the fourth quarter.
A Record-Setting Fourth Quarter
With Thomas sitting courtside, Boston turned a tight, back-and-forth game into a blowout in the final 12 minutes. The Celtics didn’t just get hot - they caught fire.
They knocked down 10 three-pointers in the fourth quarter, the most ever in a single fourth quarter in NBA history. That’s not just a strong finish - that’s rewriting the record books.
Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Anfernee Simons, Sam Hauser, and Hugo Gonzalez all got in on the action from deep. Hauser, especially, found his rhythm at just the right time. He hit four of his five threes in the fourth - a huge lift for a player who’s been in a serious slump.
To put it in perspective: over his last five games, Hauser had gone just 9-of-30 from beyond the arc, and he’d missed his last 10 straight. But shooters shoot, and on this night, Hauser got his groove back.
And it wasn’t just him. As a team, the Celtics had struggled mightily from deep in their previous two games, shooting just 27.3% from three - both losses. But on this night, with the crowd buzzing and Isaiah Thomas in the building, the Celtics rediscovered their shooting touch in dramatic fashion.
Looking Ahead
There’s something poetic about the Celtics putting together their best fourth quarter of the season with the “King of the Fourth” in attendance. It was a reminder of what Thomas brought to the team - not just points, but heart, grit, and a flair for the dramatic.
Now the question is whether Boston can carry this momentum into their next matchup, a road tilt against the Raptors. If this fourth-quarter explosion was a turning point, it couldn’t have come at a better time.
But for one night, the spotlight belonged to Isaiah Thomas - and the Celtics made sure to honor him the best way they know how: with a win, a record, and a fourth quarter for the ages.