UPDATE: The Celtics release a statement at 5:27 p.m. that says Isaiah Thomas "did not suffer a fractured or broken jaw." The team says he "sustained multiple front teeth injuries including a complete fractured tooth and two other subluxed/shifted teeth that required extensive oral surgery to stabilize" and "is currently wearing a four-piece temporary bridge that cracked after being re-injured. This necessitated a replacement at halftime during Game 3 of the series. The spanning bridge is necessary to protect and stabilize the injuries. Members of the Celtics medical staff anticipated the need to replace the temporary bridges, and are prepared at any time to do so. Thomas will receive a permanent bridge at a future date."
WASHINGTON -- Celtics coach Brad Stevens said he hasn’t heard a word from the team’s medical staff that Isaiah Thomas was playing with a fractured jaw, as reported by WEEI’s Glenn Orway.
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“I know nothing about that,” Stevens said during a conference call when I asked him about it on Friday. “Obviously, he has the tooth issue and it’s affected a couple of his teeth but I have heard nothing about a fractured jaw.”
Thomas was hit with inadvertent elbow in Game 1 that knocked one of his front teeth out.
The following day, he spent six hours in the dentist’s chair having it fixed, and returned the following day for another three or four hours of work.
Boston Celtics
He is playing with a shock-resistant mouthpiece that was put to the test in Game 2 when he landed on his face. After the fall, he took the mouthpiece out, checked to see if the surgically repaired teeth were still in place (they were) and continued on to finish with a career playoff-high 53 points.
In Game 3, Thomas did not start the third quarter because he was in the locker room dealing with a related dental matter.
Stevens seemed surprised when told about Thomas reportedly having a broken jaw.
“Obviously, that would be concerning,” he said.