ORLANDO, Fla. — As quickly as Cam Thomas got here again, so did the Nets offense. However ultimately, it was their protection that allow them down in opposition to the Magic.
The guard performed his first sport since struggling a hamstring harm earlier than Thanksgiving and appeared like he by no means missed a beat, though the Nets couldn’t maintain a 21-point cushion or cease Cole Anthony on the game-winning drive that despatched them collapsing to a 102-101 loss earlier than a sellout crowd of 19,397 at Kia Middle.
Anthony had 10 factors, all within the second half after Jalen Suggs left with a sprained proper wrist. He drove for the winner with 0.8 seconds left.
Thomas, fittingly, missed the ultimate shot on the buzzer. However his return bodes properly for the Nets.
He poured in 25 factors, six rebounds and 6 assists off the bench beneath a decent minutes restriction. However each minute he performed was enormous for the Nets, who traded away beginning energy ahead Dorian Finney-Smith hours earlier than tipoff. And with level guard Dennis Schroder already dealt away earlier this month, they wanted Thomas’ scoring punch.
“We need CT to be CT,” Nets coach Jordi Fernandez stated. “Everyone knows how environment friendly he’s been. His superpower is scoring. And he has to proceed to be environment friendly and even be extra environment friendly. After which his playmaking has acquired to go up, and defensively, he’s acquired to maintain taking steps. In order that’s a plan for him.
“Excited to have him back. A guy that you know can score in bunches and we can go through him and play second side pick-and-roll and just put him in action. So I’m excited. I can just sit back and let him do his thing, so it’s not that I’m doing much.”
Thomas had missed the prior 13 video games after straining his left hamstring in Golden State. The Nets had been 8-10 with the eighth-best offensive ranking after that win over the Warriors however simply 4-9 with a next-to-last offensive ranking since.
The affect Thomas’ return had on the assault was evident.
“We’re excited to have him back,” Fernandez stated. “His teammates were excited. He was excited, had a smile on his face. So it’s a good day for us”
However not a fantastic finish.
Orlando was with out Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, and the Nets nonetheless fell to 0-4 in opposition to the Magic.
Down 21-18 after Jonathan Isaac’s layup with 3:15 left within the first, the Nets held the Magic scoreless for the following 4:19.
The Nets harassed Orlando into 0-for-3 capturing with 5 turnovers. And by the point Thomas discovered Nic Claxton for an alley-oop, they’d seized a 32-21 lead with 11:11 left within the half.
The Nets led by as a lot as 21, at 71-50 with 7:55 left within the third after Keon Johnson’s free throws.
They nonetheless led 97-80 when Ben Simmons discovered Jalen Wilson for a 3-pointer with 7:16 to play. That’s after they surrendered the lead.
The Nets conceded a 20-2 run, with Wilson fouling Goga Bitadze and the latter’s free throw leaving them down with 17.7 seconds to play.
Wilson earned a visit to the road himself and sank each to place the Nets again up with 6.2 seconds to go in regulation. However there can be no victory and even time beyond regulation as Anthony beat his man and acquired into the lane for a four-footer.
Thomas missed a desperation 3 on the buzzer.
