Isaiah Thomas made his comeback after a seven-month break and scored 17 points in his first game for the Cleveland Cavaliers to beat the Portland Trail Blazers. Praise from all sides for the Point Guard. The Cavs season is only just beginning.
4:33 minutes left to play in the first quarter, then it was finally time. After seven difficult months Isaiah Thomas sat on the writing table again and was allowed to take over the spalding in an official game. Welcome to the Land, Isaiah Thomas’, the hall speaker greeted the little playmaker.
The spectators stood up, there was more than just a round of warm applause, and Thomas smiled restrainedly, not really able to channel his emotions.”I couldn’t sleep last night,”IT Yahoo Sports reported after the game,”A new team, a new arena. I just didn’t know what to expect. I felt like a rookie.”
But Thomas didn’t play like a rookie. In 19 minutes, the newcomer to the Cavs scored 17 points (6/12 FG, including three converted distance throws) and 3 assists,”I’m still a bit rusty, but I felt comfortable out there. After the first litter, everything felt normal.”
And this also applied to his game. In a challenging matchup against Portland’s Damian Lillard and later Backup Shabazz Napier, he attacked the basket from the very first second, panting for Loose Balls and also staged his fellow players.
Like he never left and never played for another team before.
LeBron James had already seen it coming. He experienced first-hand how Thomas worked for his comeback:”He is obsessed, he always works hard. He’ll never let us down.”
Jae Crowder, a team mate of Thomas’ in Boston, also agreed,”He still has it. At the same time, Crowder emphasized that IT has visibly improved its threesome. At the moment there is only a lack of strength in the legs to perform the throws properly.
James will be happy to hear this. Thomas should relieve the MVP candidates and give number 23 a break or two. IT was on the field against the Blazers for nine minutes without LeBron. During this time the Cavs rolled 31:13 over their opponent.
Perhaps James will actually play fewer minutes now, at the moment only Giannis Antetokounmpo (38,2) and Khris Middleton (37,6) will tear down more minutes per game than LeBron (37,3). Against Portland, on the other hand, 34 minutes of the legendary wool milk pig were enough for the Cavs to clinch a sovereign victory.
Dwyane Wade also benefited from the Point Guard’s presence:”The opponents are very cautious when he has the ball,”said D-Wade,”He is a scorer and if he has the ball, I can be a scorer and I don’t have to worry about the playmaking. I can be a little more aggressive, and of course I enjoy it.”
The two were not even in training together in a team, but it worked. Wade scored 15 points in just 18 minutes, scoring mainly in the zone and grabbing 8 rebounds,”Thomas brings us a completely different dynamic. This is important so that we can achieve our goals,”added Wade.
Coach Ty Lue joined him in praising the playmaker,”It all looked so easy for him today. After such a long break, however, this will not be the case every evening. He will certainly show fluctuating performances in the first few weeks. It won’t always be like today.”
No one in Cleveland is expecting that either. Let Thomas slowly find his rhythm. Even without him, the Cavs kept up with the leaders of the Eastern Conference after a weak start, even though Jose Calderon was an oldie on top of the grid, which many people saw as a pensioner on his ham farm in Spain before the season. Instead, he played important minutes with a contender. Although the gap to the first placed Boston Celtics is already 3.5 victories, the last year showed that the Cavs don’t need the topseed to march into the finals.
The cavs could already make up ground next night if James and Co. at the TD Garden in Boston (Thursday, from 2 a. m. live on DAZN). Thomas will not play against his former team. That’s what Lue announced before the Portland game. On the one hand, it is a back-to-back, on the other hand, the emotional bond of the former audience favourite in Beantown continues to exist. IT has already stated that it would only expect approval, which would probably have been the case.
However, he asked Celtics whether they could not do without the tribute video. Boston will respond to the request and show the clip at another meeting of the teams.
Thus, the lot is also taken away a little bit of the explosiveness. Thomas may not be wrong. For the magic mouse it is a blessing to finally stand on the field again. When he left the peloton eight minutes before the end, the Cavs had extended their lead from three to twelve points during his stint in the second half. James embraced the comebacker and Lue made her laugh on the face:’ Welcome back’, were the coach’s words and there were standing ovations of the spectators in the Quicken Loans Arena.
Thomas could soon be announced for the Starting Five, as Lue indicated at the press conference after the game,”When the back-to-back process is finished, he can play a lot of minutes” After the clash with Boston, the Cavs travel on to Orlando. There could be the first starting-minutes for Thomas. After months of waiting, the Cavs Team 2017/18 would finally be complete.