Even a historic outing from Cam Thomas could not save the Nets from yet another defeat against their rival the Knicks.
Thomas’ 41 points were the most ever scored by a net at the Garden, surpassing Bernard King’s effort on February 24, 1979.
He hit 4 of 9 from deep, dished out six assists and the Nets squandered him.
“I’m just playing a game. No matter where we’re playing, if I feel good, I’m going to come out here and have a good game, play well, read the game the best I can,” Thomas said. “But no, I don’t care where I play. I will try to give the best performance possible wherever I play.
“I just knew the bigs were down early, so I knew if we set good screens, I could go down and play. Then in the second half, they made adjustments, being more forward, trying to trap, so I knew if I could just meander a little bit, I’d get Nic (Claxton) on the lobs and then the opposite pass. … So I just read how the big one was guarding me in the pick-and-roll. I think so I did a very good job.
Before Friday night, the last five 22-year-olds to score 40 at the Garden were Trae Young (2019), Nikola Jokic (2017), Kyrie Irving (2012), Shaquille O’Neal (1994) and Michael Jordan (1985). It is an august company.
“CT is the commodity,” Trendon Watford said.
In his first start of the season, Watford had 17 points and 13 rebounds playing at the point.
Starting point guard Dennis Schroder (right Achilles soreness), Cam Johnson (left big toe sprain), Dorian Finney-Smith (left knee effusion), Dennis Smith Jr. (right hip synovitis) and Day ‘Ron Sharpe (right wrist effusion) were all out.
Schroder, Finney-Smith and Smith Jr. have already been ruled out of Sunday’s 76ers finale, with Johnson’s status still up in the air.
Thomas and Watford, former LSU teammates, started together for the first time since the 2021 NCAA Tournament second round against Michigan.
New York Post
