Isaiah Thomas gets tooth knocked out, dominates Wizards anyway

The tooth and nothing but the tooth
 By 
Marcus Gilmer
 on 
Isaiah Thomas gets tooth knocked out, dominates Wizards anyway
Isaiah Thomas fought the Washington Wizards tooth and nail. Get it?? Credit: CJ GUNTHER/EPA/REX/Shutterstock

Boston Celtics star Isaiah Thomas is a pretty popular NBA star known for his compact-sized heroics and on Sunday he delivered again in the opening game of the Celtics second-round playoff series against the Washington Wizards, leading the Celtics to a win with 33 points despite having a tooth knocked out.

Thomas had his tooth knocked out by an inadvertent elbow by the Wizards' Otto Porter and you can actually see the tooth fly out of Thomas' mouth.

In case you need another look, check out this slow-mo replay.

Even more impressive? When Thomas lost his tooth and then nonchalantly picked it up and handed it to someone on the bench --According to The Big Lead, Thomas had the tooth put back in by team doctors-- the Celtics were trailing the Wizards by double-digits.

But after the de-toothing, Thomas nailed back-to-back three-pointers and spurred a Celtics comeback.

Thomas ultimately led all scorers with 33 points and added 9 assists in the Celtics 123-111 win to take a 1-0 lead over the Wizards.

And, yes, there were JOKES.

But, on a more serious note, Thomas' performance Sunday is even more impressive not because of the tooth, but because it comes 24 hours after Thomas delivered an emotional eulogy at the funeral of his sister who died April 15 in a car crash.

Said Thomas on Saturday of his sister:

"When I found out the news I wanted to give up and quit. And never in my life have I ever thought about quitting. I realized quitting isn't an option. That's the easy way out. I will keep going for my sister, as I know she wouldn't want me to stop. I love you Chyna and I miss you so much. And everything I do for the rest of my life will be for you. I love you girl."

Thomas and the Celtics host Washington for Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Tuesday night.

Mashable Image
Marcus Gilmer

Marcus Gilmer is Mashable's Assistant Real-Times News Editor on the West Coast, reporting on breaking news from his location in San Francisco. An Alabama native, Marcus earned his BA from Birmingham-Southern College and his MFA in Communications from the University of New Orleans. Marcus has previously worked for Chicagoist, The A.V. Club, the Chicago Sun-Times and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
X struggles as Bad Bunny Halftime Show performance dominates
Bad Bunny performs in the Apple Music Halftime Show during the NFL Super Bowl 60

CBS refused to broadcast this Stephen Colbert interview. Here's how to watch it anyway.
Stephen Colbert on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."

Best eco-friendly deals at Amazon's spring sale: Low-waste kitchen, bathroom, and spring cleaning swaps
Suri electric toothbrushes, Cleancult dish soap carton, LifeStraw stainless steel water bottle, and Blueland laundry pods arranged on blue, purple, and green backdrop

GOTY contender 'Kingdom Come: Deliverance II' is now only $40
The front cover of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II on PS5 on a blue, purple, and red background


Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

Google launches Gemma 4, a new open-source model: How to try it
Google Gemma

NYT Strands hints, answers for April 3, 2026
A game being played on a smartphone.

The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!