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. The rookie guard had been confident his time would come after failing to see the floor in Cleveland’s first two games, and his NBA debut proved the wait was worth it.
“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.
The 20-year-old averaged 15.6 points and shot 41.6% from 3-point range at Arkansas last season. His 16 points were the second-most by a Cavaliers rookie in a debut off the bench. Brevin Knight scored 18 against Houston on Oct. 31, 1997, after being selected 16th overall out of Stanford.
A spark 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 played 10 minutes in the first half and was Cleveland’s leading scorer at that point with 10 points.
He finished 6 of 10 from the field, including 4 of 5 from beyond the arc, and added two rebounds and one steal. Before the draft, Thomas drew comparisons to CJ McCollum, as both are 6-foot-3 guards and McCollum excelled from long range.
“It is very rare to ride the coattails of a rookie riding into the half,” said All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, who led Cleveland with 25 points. “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.”
“It was an amazing feeling. It was kind of everything I expected. I knew I had to stay ready and my moment will come. You can’t keep a star in the closet,” Thomas said.
Preparation and praise
Coach Kenny Atkinson explained that he had not played Thomas against Philadelphia or Brooklyn because of matchup problems. He decided to see what the rookie could do against Minnesota because the Cavaliers needed a third ball handler on the court to ease the pressure on Mitchell and James Harden.
Thomas’s confidence grew during preseason workouts spent alongside Harden and Mitchell. Mitchell has been impressed by his work ethic from the outset.
“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.”
Comeback completed
Cleveland trailed by 15 points in the first half before rallying in the third quarter and eventually securing the win in overtime. Thomas did not see the floor for the final 9:35 of the game, yet Mitchell credited the rookie for the victory.
“In this league, you have to do it over and over. Since the day we drafted him we were bullish on him,” Atkinson said.