Shooting guard Cam Thomas has been the Nets’ most potent offensive weapon during the first week of the season. AP Photo by Eric Verduzco
Cam Thomas’ scoring spree continued Monday night in Charlotte.
And the Brooklyn Nets’ season-opening two-game losing streak ended there as well.
Thomas scored 33 points, his third straight game with at least 30 to open the campaign, and the Nets built a big first-quarter lead en route to their first win of the year, a 133-121 triumph over the Hornets in front of 14,491 fans at the Spectrum Center.
“We know he has ability to score the basketball, but it has not been forced,” Vaughn said of Thomas, who poured in 36 points on Opening Night at Barclays Center against Cleveland and added 30 in a los at Dallas Friday.
“It’s been within the flow of the offense,” Vaughn added. “And then at certain times when we need a bucket and he is capable of doing that also.”
The Nets (1-2) led by as many as 21 points during the first quarter and ended the period with a 42-23 cushion.
Thomas, who started his second straight game after coming off the bench at Barclays Center last Wednesday, went 10-of-17 from the floor and 12-of-14 at the line in a season-high 38 minutes on the hardwood.
The fourth-year shooting guard out of Louisiana State had his team option exercised last week. Now, Thomas has a chance to stick in the starting lineup, but Brooklyn needed every bit of his scoring on a night starters Cam Johnson (calf) and Nic Claxton (ankle) weren’t available.
Terry Rozier scored 23 points and rookie Brandon Miller added 22 off the bench for the Hornets (1-2), who gave up 28 fast-break points and went 8-of-31 from 3-point range while allowing the Nets to bury 12 shots from beyond the arc.
“We took some quick 3s without putting any pressure on the defense, and they got it and were gone,” Charlotte head coach Steve Clifford said. “It was definitely the defense, but a lot of that I think was our shot selection early…
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