Inside The Nets

Despite the Nets' loss, Cam Thomas turned heads during the season opener in Brooklyn

The Cavs slightly edged out the Nets last night, but the Nets have a star to look forward to.

Peter Sunjic

© Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Ricky Pierce scored 35 points off the bench in 35 minutes for the Bucks on the opening night of the 1989 NBA season against the Boston Celtics. Cam Thomas shattered a 24-year-old record by scoring 36 points in only 25 minutes during last night's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

Despite the high-scoring effort, it wasn’t enough for the Brooklyn Nets to get the win, but it was a great first look at the upcoming season.

Growing pains

Jacque Vaughn’s first full season as head coach saw his Nets get off to a slow start, getting into a 16-5 hole less than 5 minutes into the game, prompting Vaughn to sub Thomas in for Spencer Dinwiddie shortly after. Thomas’s impact was immediately noticed, as he scored 15 points in 7 minutes in the first quarter.

At the quarter's close, the Nets narrowed the lead to a mere 5 points, bringing the score to 37-32. They eventually leveled the game by halftime, with Thomas amassing an impressive 24 points in the first half, resulting in a 63-63 tie.

It was ultimately not enough

Cam Thomas continued his hot hand with 12 more points in the second half, finishing with 36 points in just 25 minutes, with two assists and a steal to round out his stat line for the night. Even with Thomas’s high scoring, the Nets couldn’t hold off the Cavaliers.

“There’s a lot of good things to build off of,” said Thomas after the game, “we got off to a slow start, so we had to fight back from the beginning.”

Cam, in particular, emerged as the game-changer, with the Nets holding a +5 advantage while he was on the court, largely thanks to his impressive 62% field goal percentage. Thomas himself emphasized that this season has a wealth of potential for the Nets to build on and much to look forward to.

The Brooklyn Nets lose a heartbreaker against the Cavaliers in season opener, 113-114

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Peter Sunjic
PETER SUNJIC

Peter's journey with basketball commenced in the first grade, and it has since evolved into an integral part of his life. Standing on the brink of a potential professional playing career, Peter ultimately chose to pursue a degree in Political Science and Journalism in Zagreb, Croatia. Despite this academic pursuit, his deep-rooted love for the game of basketball endured, undiminished. Now, as a writer and editor, Peter finds an avenue to channel his unwavering passion for basketball-related news and analysis. Whether it's deciphering the latest happenings or delving into the lore of old-school basketball, he covers every corner of the NBA world.

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