After his sister, Chyna Thomas, passed away in a terrible car accident last month, Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas said he “wanted to give up and quit.” There was no quit in his game against the Washington Wizards Tuesday night, though. On what would have been his late sister’s 23 birthday, Thomas dropped 53 points in game two of the second round series, the second most points scored in Celtics’ postseason history.

The Boston Celtics got off to a slow start in Tuesday’s matchup at the Boston Garden. But it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish; and finishing is something the 5’9″ Thomas knows how to do. Thomas’ play late in games this season have earned him the “Mr. 4th Quarter” nickname, and he delivered again in game two.

Thomas racked up 29 points in the fourth quarter and overtime Tuesday. This was after he only scored 24 in the first three quarters. His play helped his Celtics’ outscore the Wizards 45-30 in the fourth quarter and overtime and earn them the victory.

In the postgame interview, Thomas was asked were his dominant play was coming from, he replied: “It’s my sister. It’s her birthday today, happy birthday. She would have been 23 today so everything I do is for her. And she’s watching over me, so that’s all her.”

The win gave the Boston Celtics a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven second round series with the Wizards. Thomas and the Celtics will head to Washington now to play games three and four at the Verizon Center in the nation’s capitol.

It’ll be a rough test for the Wizards to try and get back into the series after falling behind two games. Not only are they facing an extremely talented Celtics squad, but they’re also facing a 5’9″ man in Thomas who has a heavy-heart and the world to play for.