The Nets might have lost one of their leading lights in All-Star Kyrie Irving, but Brooklyn is quickly discovering a silver lining in that bombshell trade.
Youngster Cam Thomas has exploded for the second game running, backing up his 44 points against the Wizards two days ago with a monster 47-point effort against the LA Clippers.
Without the injured Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons, Thomas shot 15 of 29 from the floor including 7-11 from deep, and added four rebounds and three assists in a career-best night.
It made him the only Net to ever hit 44 or more in consecutive games, and the second-youngest to have back-to-back 40+ games in NBA history.
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Tuesday February 7th
Thomas hit the mark at just second 21 years and 116 days old, putting him behind only LeBron James (21y 47d).
Kyrie Irving himself had two 40-plus games all season before his exit.
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While Thomas’ 44 points inspired an epic comeback win over the Wizards last time out, the shooting guard’s unbelievable effort was not enough to do the same today, as the Clippers fought back from an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter to run out 124-116 victors.
The Clippers were up 99-93 with ten minutes to play in the fourth, before the Nets scored 14-straight points to lead by eight. Then the Clippers hit back with a seven-point run of their own. Things went down to the wire as the lead changed hands twice more.
But Paul George’s 29 points and Kawhi Leonard’s 24 (with three rebounds and six assists) did enough to hand the Clippers victory. Ivica Zubac added 19 points, 12 rebounds and three steals – with the Clippers racking up 11 steals tin total to the Nets’ four.
Nevertheless, Thomas’ dominance in the Nets’ two games without Irving has been a remarkable boon – especially compared to his average of 8.5 points per game in his short career.
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The Clippers have now won eight of their last 10.
COACH RAGES ROCKETS CRUMBLE AGAIN
It’s not easy being a Houston fan right now. Having copped a 153-121 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder last time out, the Rockets again let in a monster scoreline as the Sacramento Kings racked up 140 points today – including 41 in the final quarter.
Coach Stephen Silas was furious at Houston’s dismal defensive effort, slamming the table repeatedly in his post-game press conference. He declared: “Acting as if it doesn’t matter, it matters. It matters. It’s disappointing. These are the lessons we have to learn, and all that stuff. That’s not right. What we did on the floor, it’s not right. It’s not right!”
Jalen Green led the Rockets with 27 points, 14 of them coming in the third quarter.
But the Rockets had no answer for the Kings three-point shooting, with Houston’s defence giving up wide open shots time and again – and the Kings draining 51.2 per cent from beyond the arc.
Rookie Keegan Murray had a career-best 30 points on 8-of-12 shooting from deep for the Kings.
Blasting his players for a lack of effort, Silas declared: “They’re not doing what they’re supposed to do,” before marching out of his press conference.
The Rockets have the second-youngest roster in the league, and could be active in the trade market, with veteran Eric Gordon regularly discussed in trade whispers.
FULL SCORES
Wizards 91-114 Cavaliers
Pistons 99-111 Celtics
Nets 116-124 Clippers
Bulls vs Spurs
Rockets vs Kings
Jazz vs Mavericks
Trail Blazers vs Bucks
Warriors vs Thunder
