Isaiah Thomas disagreed with a reporter who said that the Cleveland Cavaliers held him in check for most of the fourth quarter on Wednesday. After scoring 31 points on 10-for-20 shooting with five assists in the Boston Celtics’ 103-99 win over the Cavs, Thomas made it clear that, just because he didn’t go on a scoring barrage in the final frame, it didn’t mean Cleveland had shut him down.

“Nobody holds me in check,” Thomas said, via masslive.com’s Jay King. “I made plays. I average 30 points for a reason. I made plays. They doubled me, I passed it to Jae [Crowder], he hit a shot. I passed to Avery [Bradley]. I believe in my teammates. And then I hit a 3-pointer where they miscommunicated on their coverage. But my job every day, no matter what the defense throws at me, is to make plays, score the ball, and I try to do that to the best of my ability.”

I love the way Thomas explained his job description as much as I love his confidence. More and more, opposing teams are trying to get the ball out of his hands late in games. In that situation, he’s supposed to give the ball up and help his team get open looks. On two crucial possessions late in the fourth quarter, he earned assists on 3-point shots that gave the Celtics a lead. Thomas hit a deep 3-pointer of his own with less than a minute left, but he wouldn’t have been in position to do that if not for Crowder and Bradley converting in high-pressure situations.