Cam Thomas Makes NBA History In Nets-Clippers Game On Monday
Who said the Brooklyn Nets would not be good without Kyrie Irving?
Stepping up in the absence of Irving and others this past weekend, second-year guard Cam Thomas scored a career-best 44 points on 16-23 shooting, 4-5 from three-point range, coming off-the-bench in a 125-123 victory for the Nets, a game in which they trailed by as many as 23 points.
On Monday against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Nets were not able to come away with a victory, losing 124-116 on their home floor, but Thomas stayed hot and scored a new career-high 47 points on 15-29 shooting, 7-11 from three-point range and 10-11 from the free-throw line.
According to the Nets, Thomas became just the fifth player in team history to score at least 40 points in consecutive games and he is the youngest player in franchise history to do so.
Cam Thomas also joined LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Luka Doncic, Allen Iverson and Andrew Wiggins as the only players in NBA history to record at least 40 points in consecutive games prior to turning 22-years-old.
LeBron James is the only player younger than Thomas to do so.
Eight different players have record 40-point nights in consecutive games this season: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Devin Booker, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, LeBron James, Damian Lillard and now Cam Thomas.
These performances from the young guard are definitely surprising, but at the same time, Thomas has always been an electric scorer the Nets have been stashing on their bench.
Drafted 27th overall in 2021, put together some double-digit scoring nights earlier this season, as well as a 33-point night in 29 minutes against the Indiana Pacers in December.
Now, with Kyrie Irving gone and both Ben Simmons and Kevin Durant injured, Cam Thomas has taken advantage of his opportunities and is quickly becoming one of the young faces of this new era for the Brooklyn Nets.
What his role will look like alongside Durant when he returns from his MCL injury is unknown, but if there is anything the Nets can take away from these last two games, it is that Thomas must be in their nightly rotation.
Who knows, maybe Cam Thomas will be their new second-best scoring option alongside Durant the rest of the season and for many years to come.
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