BOSTON – Late in the fourth quarter, the TD Garden was rockin' when the fans charted chanting, 'M-V-P, M-V-P' which is become a nightly serenade of sorts for Isaiah Thomas.
It's extremely wishful thinking on Celtics Nation's part, but there is no denying his status as one of the game's best players this season.
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He delivered yet another work of art on Monday, scoring 17 of his game-high 35 points in the fourth quarter in leading Boston to a 108-98 win against Charlotte.
And he did the way he always seems to do it, mixing in 3-pointers with drives to the baskets and an occasional assist to keep the collapsing defenses that surround him relatively honest.
But the numbers he's consistently posting only tell part of the narrative to what has been a fairy tale of a season for the 5-foot-9 guard who continues to defy odds on a nightly basis.
Boston Celtics
Not only is he producing at a high level, but he's elevating the play of those around him which is reflected in the team's overall success.
Boston (26-15) hits the halfway point with its best record under fourth-year coach Brad Stevens and best by the franchise since a 32-9 start to the 2010-2011 season.
The Celtics have now won eight of their last 10 games, and 13 of 16 as they steadily pull away and establish themselves at worst being the third-best team in the East.
And against the Hornets, they got the victory with a nice blending of what they do best – shoot three-pointers and play solid, physical defense.
The game could not have gotten off to a better start for the Boston Celtics, opening with a 10-2 run that put the Hornets on their heels quickly.
Not surprisingly, the Hornets rallied to take the lead in the first quarter before Boston’s second unit stepped up.
Leading the way in the final minute of the first quarter was Jaylen Brown, just minutes removed from a moving pre-game speech honoring the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., on MLK Day.
With Boston trailing 30-29, Brown scored the final five points of the quarter to give Boston a 34-30 lead.
The second quarter saw both teams pull ahead by slim margins, neither showing an ability to pull away and take full control of the game.
But again it was the Celtics making all the necessary plays at both ends of the floor in the closing moments.
Trailing 50-48, Boston would close out the half with an 11-3 run to lead 59-53 at the half.
In the third quarter, Boston began to give itself a little more breathing room fueled in large part by their defense which not only limited the Hornets scoring but took advantage of great spacing to get open jumpers or baskets in the paint with little resistance or help-side defense.
A back-to-the-basket hook shot by Al Horford gave Boston a 77-67 lead, the game’s first double-digit margin.
The Celtics increased their lead to 12 points following a pull-up jumper along the baseline by Avery Bradley who was back in the lineup after missing the previous four games with an Achilles injury.
Going into the fourth, the Celtics were ahead 80-71.