The Boston Celtics guard was not critical, but rather understanding of his coach Brad Stevens for sitting him out extended minutes on the second quarter of Wednesday night's loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The game had pivotal implications, with a win for either team signifying the undisputed No. 1 seed and a full game's advantage between the first and second place in the Eastern Conference.

Isaiah Thomas sat out the first 6:04 of the second quarter (more or less his usual rest) — time which the Cavs used to turn a one-point lead at the end of the first quarter into a 17-point lead when the Celtics floor general returned.

“Even as you go through and just kind of look at it, yes, that moment in time certainly didn’t help us by any means because we were playing uphill,” Stevens told Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England. “But they were just better throughout the 48 minutes tonight.”

LeBron James piled up 12 points, three rebounds, two assists, and a thunderous block during that six-minute span, changing the course of the game permanently with a dominating offensive spurt.

“I trust Brad in whatever decision he makes,” Thomas said. “I let him coach and I play to the best of my ability. But that did hurt us, that run they went on to start the second [quarter]. They didn’t look back after that.”

The Celtics felt flat after that mustering 22, 24, and 25-point quarters while Cleveland railed off 38 and 33-point quarters in the second and third periods, putting the game far out of reach.

Boston was able to count with their usual horses, getting starting shooting guard Avery Bradley back after his illness and Jae Crowder from an elbow injury.

“I trust my teammates; I have confidence in those guys to go out there and play well,” Thomas said. “They just have to do it and they will. Tonight was a tough one. I guess it’s been a trend lately. But we’ll figure it out.”