lahoma City’s Russell Westbrook and Houston’s James Harden for that trophy will be decided before the Thunder-Rockets series starts. Photograph: Cj Gunther/EPABoston CelticsCeltics' Isaiah Thomas starts playoff game after death of si. ginning of this year, in which he said he would have been happy if his opponent that day, Rafa Nadal, had won. “What you do have are ‘physical wonders’– athletes that seem to have the physical ability to continu.