The Boston Celtics spoiled Isaiah Thomas' return to TD Garden by taking down the Wizards 140-133 on Wednesday night, but it wasn't all bad news for I.T.
Here are three instant overreactions from the win, which marked the C's ninth straight victory and improved their record to 9-1:
1. Isaiah Thomas is finally showing flashes of his Celtic days.
Verdict: Not an overreaction
Thomas overcame plenty of adversity on his road to regaining his role as an NBA starter. So far, things are trending in the right direction for the ex-Celtics guard with the Wizards.
I.T., at the arena he used to call home, had a solid night vs. his former team with 18 points and seven assists. He went 7-for-14 from the field (3-for-6 from 3-pt). Not quite the monster numbers he put up during his Boston tenure, but those performances could come with time.
Boston Celtics
Thomas entered Wednesday night averaging 13.2 points per game on the season.
2. Marcus Smart has turned into a legit 3-point threat.
Verdict: Not an overreaction
On Tuesday we broke down why Smart's newfound 3-point prowess isn't just a flash in the pan, and his performance Wednesday backed it up.
Smart dropped 17 points (6-of-12 from the field) while going 4-of-8 from behind the arc. Through the first 10 games of the season, he's been shooting with confidence and that'll only continue as long as he sees this kind of success. And when his shots aren't falling, he makes up for it by making plays like this one:
The longest-tenured Celtic is now shooting 39 percent from 3-point range on the year and recently passed Isaiah Thomas for sixth on the C's all-time 3-point list.
3. The Celtics have a turnover problem.
Verdict: Overreaction
The C's had some trouble with turnovers throughout the win, but don't be alarmed. They entered Wednesday night on pace to have one of the best turnover rates in league history, as NBC Sports Boston's own Chris Forsberg noted in his latest mailbag.
While Boston's 11 turnovers vs. the Wizards certainly hurt, you shouldn't expect it to become a trend.
Don’t miss NBC Sports Boston's coverage of Celtics-Warriors, which tips off Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. ET with Celtics Pregame Live, and then Mike & Scal have the call of the game at 10:30 p.m. You can also stream the game through the MyTeams App.