Cam Thomas says he doesn’t treat the Knicks differently than any other team, or the Garden any differently than any other building.
But his play says something else.
Rather than wilt under the limelight, the young Nets guard blooms into a star every time he’s on the stage of the World’s Most Famous Arena.
Friday marked Thomas’ second 40-point performance at the Garden in just over six months, and the Nets could use a third in Sunday’s rematch.
“Yeah, he’s not afraid of the bright lights,” Nets coach Jordi Fernandez said of Thomas. “And I can tell you that from the first shot he took [on Friday]. And his teammates knew that we had to find him. I tried to do my best to help him, to find him. Obviously, they put OG [Anunoby] on him, which is a very good defender and very physical, and he still found a way to score.
“The good thing is you have another chance to do it again against the same team. They’re going to feel the same way and then he’s going to have to come back and perform again. So amazing performance by C.T., and very happy, because from the beginning, he kept us alive.”
Thomas poured in 43 points on Friday to outscore Knicks star Jalen Brunson.
He shot 16-for-22 and a scalding 7-for-10 from deep, only to watch Brunson hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with just six seconds left.
“It’s dope, one of the top guards in the league. You always try to play good against matchups like that,” said Thomas, who didn’t take the final shot for the Nets.
With no timeouts, they had to push the ball and ended up with a Dennis Schroder miss at the buzzer, Thomas never getting a chance to answer.
But he’ll get his chance to answer in Sunday’s rematch, with Brooklyn playing without Nic Claxton and having lost four of their last five.
“Just staying aggressive,” Thomas shrugged. “They were guarding hard, switching, switching, multiple defenders on me, blitzing. So I just had to figure it out. But I just really just wanted to come out, be aggressive, and then just set the tone early.
“First [NBA] Cup game, we just want to set the tone early. So I did a good job of that, decent job of that. But you always want to win at the end of the day. So, but the good thing about it, we play them again on Sunday so we can get some redemption. So I can’t wait for that.”
Thomas’ 41-point outing against the Knicks on April 12 had been the highest-scoring effort for a Net at the Garden.
Friday’s performance not only surpassed that, but tied John Williamson for the franchise’s second-highest ever against the Knicks, behind only Kevin Durant’s 53 in 2022.
Only one other visitor has more 40-point games at the Garden before turning 24: Wilt Chamberlain. So, does the laconic Thomas relish being a Knick villain?
“No, I’ve never really been that type of person to do that. I just try to play whoever’s out there playing, no matter where we’re playing. I just try to give [my best], put my best foot forward and play the best to the best of my ability, no matter who it is,” said Thomas, who did admit he enjoyed a game-recognizes-game moment with NFL great Tom Brady.
“[It] was kind of dope seeing Tom Brady. I was a big Tom Brady fan growing up. I don’t usually get like that with people, but that was kind of dope though. He gave me a little look when I hit a 3, too. So that really was a good moment for me, for sure. But it’s not really much playing [in the Garden]; it’s just wherever I’m playing at, what [team] I’m playing, I just want to put my best foot forward and be aggressive and try to help the team win.”