CLEVELAND -- Boston Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas met with a hip specialist on Tuesday, the first in what's expected to be a series of visits designed to determine the best rehabilitation plan after he was forced to shut down for the season during the Eastern Conference finals.
Thomas aggravated a lingering right hip issue during Game 2 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He did not travel with the team to Cleveland and Celtics coach Brad Stevens said that doctors might need the swelling in his hip to subside a bit more before he can get more definitive results.
"His X-rays and all of the information that they gathered is being sent to another specialist," Stevens said before Tuesday's Game 4. "I think he's probably going to collect one to two more opinions and then go from there before he ultimately makes a decision on the next step, whether that next step is surgery or a specific rehab program, whatever the case may be.
"But he's still obviously really sore, and he's still -- the last [doctor] said that some of the inflammation that he has has to go down before they can make the final call."
Celtics players FaceTimed Thomas after Sunday's thrilling Game 3 victory so he could be part of the postgame celebration from afar. Teammates are hopeful that Thomas will be with them in Boston when the series shifts back to TD Garden later this week.
The Cavaliers extended the lead of the best-of-seven series to 3-1 on Tuesday night after winning Game 4. Cleveland can clinch the ticket to the NBA Finals on Thursday night in Boston.
The Celtics have stressed that, no matter how long the series goes, Thomas will not be able to return to action because of the hip injury.
Stevens reaffirmed that Tuesday when asked about the possibility of a return.
"It's never even been brought up," said Stevens. "Out."
