They say the NBA is trending toward freak-of-nature seven-footers who have perimeter skills in big-man bodies. You know, Durant, Giannis, Kristaps, Emiid, etc.
But on Sunday, Isaiah Thomas and Tyler Ulis, both 5-foot-9 on a good day, showed that there’s still room in the league for (very) little guards.
Thomas put up 35 points for the Celtics, while Ulis had a career day with 20 off the bench for the Suns. After an evening full of theatrics from the two tiny point guards, Ulis got the last laugh, collecting a Thomas turnover and nailing a fadeaway three as time expired to give Phoenix a 109-106 victory.
https://twitter.com/cjzero/status/838549490617438208
Moments before Ulis’ game-winning shot, Thomas had missed a free throw that would have extended Boston’s lead to three points. The Suns’ Eric Bledsoe raced downcourt to hit a game-tying lay-up, then rookie Marquese Chriss poked the ball from Thomas’ hands, setting up the go-ahead fadeaway.
Thomas has developed a reputation this year as “Mr. Fourth Quarter,” thanks to a number of late-game heroics, but the final seconds were not his brightest moment.
Ulis’ game-winning shot over Thomas came a couple hours after they faced off in possibly the shortest jump ball of all-time.
The jump ball we've all been waiting for pic.twitter.com/jZddfFTZlb
— NBA (@NBA) March 5, 2017
At least Thomas won that.
