Rookie guard Meleek Thomas scored 16 points in 19 minutes off the bench as the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied for a 127-125 overtime victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night.
Thomas had waited for his chance after not seeing the floor in Cleveland’s first two games, and his NBA debut was worth the wait.
“It was on my mind I was going to be on my best version. Have a great showing, stand out and make sure people leaving the gym know my name,” said Thomas, the 34th overall pick in June’s NBA draft.
A Strong Debut Off the Bench
Thomas entered for Peyton Watson with 5:53 remaining in the first quarter. He missed his first shot, a 28-foot 3-pointer from the right wing, before making a running layup with 3:39 left in the opening period.
He finished 6-of-10 from the field, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range, and added two rebounds and one steal. He played 10 minutes in the first half and was Cleveland’s leading scorer at that point with 10 points.
The 16 points were the second-most by a Cavaliers rookie in his debut coming off the bench. Brevin Knight scored 18 against Houston on Oct. 31, 1997, after being the 16th overall pick out of Stanford.
Thomas averaged 15.6 points and shot 41.6% from 3-point range at Arkansas last season, and he had drawn pre-draft comparisons to CJ McCollum because both are 6-foot-3 guards and McCollum excelled from beyond the arc.
Mitchell Praises the Rookie
All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 25 points and was quick to praise his teammate.
“It is very rare to ride the coattails of a rookie riding into the half,” Mitchell said. “For him to be the spark in his first game of the year is not normal. He made some mistakes but they were aggressive. He was fearless and trying to impact the game.”
Mitchell also highlighted Thomas’s defensive effort. “His attention to detail defensively surprised me,” Mitchell said. “Offensively he makes shots. He’s trying and willing to learn. We definitely got lucky with him but he set a high precedent for himself.”
Thomas’s confidence grew during preseason workouts with Mitchell and James Harden, according to the report.
Atkinson Explains the Decision
Coach Kenny Atkinson said he had kept Thomas out of the lineup against Philadelphia and Brooklyn because of matchup problems. Against Minnesota, he decided to see what the rookie could do, since Cleveland needed a third ball handler on the floor to take some pressure off Mitchell and Harden.
Cleveland trailed by 15 points in the first half before rallying in the third quarter and eventually forcing overtime. Thomas did not play the final 9:35 of the game, but Mitchell credited him for the win.
“In this league, you have to do it over and over. Since the day we drafted him we were bullish on him,” Atkinson said.