Nurkic has been garbage this game. Looks completely outmatched by Javale McGee, of all people.
Feel like he might've played his heart out for his grandma the other day, and felt it more intensely today
I think this same thing happened to Isaiah in '17 in the 1st round against the Bulls.
Game 1, right after his sister died, he had 33 points, on 10/18 shooting, 10/12 from the line, and was +12, in a close game that the C's lost but were in it till the end.
Game 2, Isaiah (and the whole team) played poorly, Isaiah had 20 points, on 6/15 shooting, 7/13 from the line, and was -20, in a game that never felt that close.
I always thought Isaiah was riding high on emotion in that 1st game, but then was emotionally drained in that 2nd game from the death of his sister, and that was the main reason he played great in Game 1 and kept the game close, with the opposite being true for Game 2.
People will point to Rondo fracturing his thumb after Game 2 as the turning point in that series, I personally always thought it was more of Isaiah finally getting off the emotional roller coaster of his sisters death.
The Rondo element was way over blown, he played poorly in Game 1 (6/15 shooting, 5 fouls, -7) but had a Playoff Rondo Game 2 (11/14/9/5, +24), coincidentally having a bad game when Isaiah played well and a great game when Isaiah played poorly. The C's didn't turn things around because Rondo got injured, Isaiah just needed some time to deal with his personal tragedy.
