Cam Thomas returned from missing nearly two months with a hamstring injury and the Brooklyn Nets kept winning.
Coming off a successful return in a reserve role, Thomas hopes to help the Nets extend their winning streak to four games on Monday when they host the Golden State Warriors, who are at .500 for the ninth time this season.
Thomas missed 20 games with a strained left hamstring after getting injured in the first quarter of Brooklyn’s nine-point win at Indiana on Nov. 5. The Nets went 8-12 in the guard’s absence and began showing improvement as Thomas inched closer to getting cleared.
Thomas contributed to Brooklyn’s 123-107 win at Minnesota by scoring 30 points in 20 minutes on a night when the Nets’ reserves totaled 62 points. Thomas converted a trio of three-point plays in the first quarter and scored 12 straight Brooklyn points in the third as part of a 9-of-15 showing.
“Feeling good to be back out there with the guys, making the right play, making the right shots and we played really well,” Thomas said. “We got a win out of this. That’s even better for me. That’s good just to have everybody connected.
“Everybody being on the same page locked in, just having no drop-off between the starters and the bench,” continued Thomas, who averages 22.3 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists for nine games (eight starts).
“So that’s a really big thing, having no drop-off right now,” he said. “So they did a great job on the bench, came in and did a good job. So we want to keep building on that, and we’ll see how that goes from there. But I’m just happy we got the win.”
The Nets are 7-3 in their past 10 games after scoring 120 points for the fourth time this season. Brooklyn is attempting to win four straight for the first time since a 12-game run Dec. 7, 2022 to Jan. 2, 2023 — shortly before stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were traded to the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks, respectively.
The Warriors have been hovering around .500 all this month and slipped to 16-16 with a 141-127 overtime loss to the host Toronto Raptors on Sunday. Golden State was outscored 19-5 in overtime and encountered difficulties defending the paint and avoiding turnovers.
The Warriors conceded 70 points in the paint and permitted the Raptors to shoot 61.4% (35 of 57) inside. Golden State also allowed 35 points off 21 turnovers, the most points by an opponent this season and the eighth time the Warriors had 20 turnovers in a game.
Golden State committed 15 turnovers after halftime, including seven in the fourth quarter after holding a 13-point lead in the third.
“Just turnovers, end of the third, end of the fourth, we just got scattered,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “I’ve got to get us better organized in those stretches. That’s on me.
Those issues spoiled a 39-point showing from Stephen Curry, who made 12 of his season-high 30 field-goal attempts, including a 3 with 1:43 left in regulation to put Golden State up seven.
The turnover issues also prevented the Warriors from winning four straight games for the first time this season after beating the Suns, Orlando Magic and Mavericks.
The Warriors are also hoping for a better showing on the glass after getting outrebounded 55-42. Golden State gave up 25 rebounds to Toronto’s Scottie Barnes and conceded 18 offensive rebounds.
