BOSTON — Jimmy Butler had 30 points and nine rebounds and the Chicago Bulls outlasted Boston 106-102 in Game 1 on Sunday on an emotional night for grieving Celtics star Isaiah Thomas.
Isaiah Thomas took the floor to a deafening cheer for the Boston Celtics‘ playoff opener against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday night, just a day after his sister was killed in a car accident.
The Celtics held a pregame moment of silence for Chyna Thomas, who died early Saturday in a one-car interstate accident in their home state of Washington. She was 22. The Celtics’ All-Star guard was informed of her death following the team’s practice Saturday afternoon.
It was unclear if he’d play Sunday, and prior to the game TNT’s cameras captured teammate Avery Bradley comforting Thomas on the bench during the pregame shootaround. But Thomas led the team out of the tunnel when Boston took the floor for pregame warmups. He looked toward the rafters just before the tip-off.
On his shoes were written “Chyna” and “I love you.”
