Thomas shoots way into Cavaliers lineup
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CLEVELAND (AP) -- Meleek Thomas was confident that his time was going to come after not seeing the floor in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ first two games.
The rookie guard showed on Monday night that his NBA debut ended up being worth the wait.
Thomas scored 16 points in 19 minutes as the Cavaliers rallied for a 127-125 overtime victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“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.
Thomas averaged 15.6 points and shot 41.6% from 3-point range at Arkansas last season. He led Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School in Midland, Pa., to PIAA Class 4A state championships in 2023 and 2024.
His 16 points are the second-most points by a Cavs rookie in their debut coming off the bench. Brevin Knight scored 18 against Houston on Oct. 31, 1997, after being the 16th overall pick out of Stanford.
The 20-year old Thomas came into the game 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.
Thomas ended up playing 10 minutes in the first half and was Cleveland’s leading scorer with 10 points.
“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.”
Coach Kenny Atkinson said he didn’t play Thomas against Philadelphia and Brooklyn due to matchup problems, but decided to see what Thomas could do because the Cavaliers needed a third ball handler on the court to take some pressure off Mitchell and James Harden.
Thomas drew some pre-draft comparisons to CJ McCollum, since both were 6-foot-3 guards and McCollum excelled from beyond the arc. He ended up going 6 of 10 from the field, including 4 of 5 on 3-pointers, along with two rebounds and one steal.
“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.
Thomas’ confidence was bolstered by spending time with Harden and Mitchell during preseason workouts. Mitchell has liked what he has seen from Thomas early due to his work ethic.
“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.”
Cleveland trailed by 15 in the first half before rallying in the third quarter and eventually pulling it out in overtime. Even though Thomas didn’t see the floor for the final 9:35 of the game, Mitchell credited the rookie 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.
CAVS RALLY
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Evan Mobley had 24 points, Peyton Watson added 22 and the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied in the second half for a 121-111 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night, spoiling AJ Dybantsa’s NBA debut.
Dybantsa, the No. 1 pick in the June draft, led the Wizards with 19 points. He started at shooting guard and played 26 minutes. Dybantsa was sidelined the first four games due to a sprained ankle.
He scored nine points in the first quarter. According to Sportradar, that was the most first quarter points by a Wizards rookie making their debut since at least 1996-97.
Donovan Mitchell added 19 points for the Cavaliers, who have won three straight after squandering a 29-point lead and dropping their opener at Philadelphia.
Cavaliers rookie Meleek Thomas added 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting with four rebounds.
Washington’s Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr scored 18 apiece and Bilal Coulibaly added 17 points as he made his first eight shots. Kyshawn George had 11 assists.
Mobley made a career-high five 3-pointers and had 10 points in the fourth quarter. Watson, who was acquired from Denver during the offseason, also had six rebounds in 28 minutes.
Cleveland trailed 105-104 before scoring nine straight points to take control for its third straight win. It also is the Cavaliers 17th straight win over the Wizards, the longest active streak in the league.
Dybantsa’s alley-oop off a pass by George gave the Wizards a 76-63 lead early in the third quarter before Cleveland started its comeback. The Cavaliers got within seven before going on a 14-6 run. Mobley’s layup with 11:19 remaining in the fourth quarter put the Cavs up 94-92 and was their first lead since late in the first quarter.
The Cavaliers play at Atlanta on Thursday night.