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Robb: Isaiah Thomas Plans To Use His Benching As Motivation Against The Heat

By Brian Robb, CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) -- With the Celtics facing a 23-point deficit early in the second half of a critical matchup for playoff positioning, Brad Stevens surprisingly sent his best offensive player to the bench ... for good.

Isaiah Thomas spent the remainder of the 114-100 defeat to the Hornets watching from the sidelines and the point guard made it clear at Tuesday's practice that he wasn't pleased with the long stint on the pine.

"It did [upset me]," Thomas told reporters. "I guess the way I'm playing and the way I was playing [Monday], I guess that's why [Stevens] did that, but you've got to move on from it."

The All-Star turned the ball over six times against the Hornets and was whistled for a technical foul before his night ended after 20 minutes of action. Boston's reserves were able to cut the deficit to 15 a couple of times in the fourth quarter, but Thomas was merely a spectator for the extended comeback.

The 5-foot-9-inch guard still managed to score 17 points in his limited minutes, but he tried to clear the air on the situation with his head coach before Boston's regular-season finale against the Heat.

"We did, we did [talk]," Thomas said. "That's why I'm trying to be positive and be happy and worry about [Wednesday]. ... He didn't [explain why I was benched]. But knowing him, that group wasn't doing anything for the most part. He wanted to see something new.

"He wanted some new type of energy. He didn't say that to me but just knowing him and how he coaches sometimes, he does that. You've just got to roll with the punches and be ready for whatever he comes at you with. I'm just trying to look forward to [Wednesday] and playing a better game, individually and as a team."

The fourth seed will be on the line for Boston in that matchup against the Miami Heat, and the Celtics could fall all the way down to sixth in the Eastern Conference standings with a defeat. After back-to-back ugly losses against a pair of fellow playoff teams in Atlanta and Charlotte, Thomas is counting on his recent lackluster play and benching to help him respond Wednesday night.

"It makes me come out the next game on fire, with a different mind-set and just prove to him that he might have made the wrong decision," Thomas said of the benching. "I don't know. It makes you rethink things, and lock back in and you've got to play better, do better. The coach is just doing whatever he can to make this team the best team possible and you've got to roll with whatever he decides."

Don't look for any ill will to linger for Thomas about the decision either, as the 26-year-old praised his coach for giving him and his teammates the opportunity to vent about any decisions all year long.

"Whether he texts you, 'Come to my office when you get in,' or you text him, 'I just want to sit down and talk about a few things,' his door is always open and that's why guys respect him," said Thomas. "Because no matter if you're in the worst mood ever, he'll sit down and talk with you and try to figure out what the problem is. I mean, we've just got to move forward."

With a pivotal game looming Wednesday before the start of the team's second consecutive postseason appearance, Thomas wants to end the year on a high note.

"Go out with a bang," Thomas said of what he wants to see in Game 82. "I mean, the [Celtic] legends are in town, the crowd's going to be electric. We just have to go out with a bang and play Celtics basketball, have that positive mind-set. And that starts with me."

Brian Robb covers the Celtics for CBS Boston and contributes to NBA.com, among other media outlets. You can follow him on Twitter @CelticsHub.

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