Isaiah Thomas on how the Celtics can turn their playoff series around

Isaiah Thomas is on a mission to turn the fortunes around for the Boston Celtics in their first round series against the Atlanta Hawks.

From getting the team to switch jerseys for game two, to changing his sneakers at halftime, to even taking off his patented headband, Thomas is pulling out all of the tricks to try and get the C's going.

Of course, at the end of the day, Isaiah can wear whatever gear he wants, but it won't make a difference unless the Celtics perform better on the court.

After getting swept out of the first round last year by the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Celtics find themselves down two games to zero to the Hawks. In their record-setting seven-point quarter yesterday, Thomas started 1-for-6 from the floor. He finished with 16 points while shooting under 33 percent.

Thomas knows that he must perform better if Boston is going to get back into the series, even when extra attention from defenders is coming his way.

From Chris Forsberg of ESPN:

“There’s always two guys on me, at least, when I don’t have the ball. They’re looking in my eyes, they’re face-guarding me,” Thomas said. “The best players figure it out. That’s just a sign of respect from [the Hawks], and I just gotta figure it out. Lock in and — man, I’m missing easy layups that I usually make. I’m getting midrange shots that I usually knock down.”

Thomas struggled in the postseason last year, shooting just 33 percent in the four games against the Cavs. Still, after improving his game and earning an All-Star nod, his expectations for himself are much higher this time around.

With both Avery Bradley and Kelly Olynyk out with injuries, Boston's offensive attack has been sluggish. Thomas is focused on doing what he can control.

“Stay the course,” Thomas said. “It’ll all come together. I’m just going to continue to stay in the gym, continue to watch film, figure out where I can get things even easier. Then, like I said, lock in and knock down my open shots.”

Still, Isaiah knows that if Boston is going to get out of their funk, it's going to take a team effort involving everybody on the roster stepping up.

“I’m always going to continue to be confident,” Thomas said. “But I gotta make sure my team knows to continue to have confidence in themselves, because we need each other.”