Cam Thomas | Post-Game Press Conference | Cleveland Cavaliers | 3.10.2024

Cam Thomas | Post-Game Press Conference | Cleveland Cavaliers | 3.10.2024

Cam if you don’t mind you start with that 37 foot heave at the end of the third quarter just kind of what and take us through that just kind of what were you thinking you had a little more energy after after that one yeah um got fouled as always back guard he was

Fouling me he didn’t call it so I was a little frustrated with that um so I just went and got the rebound and seen the shot clock not shot clock seen the time on the clock saw I had enough time to at least get a good shot off I think it was

Like 5 seconds left he get down there and get a good shot off and he it and win so you know it was just a little Energy play for me to get going it it seemed like energy was a big thing for you guys all around at 44 point quarter

What what changed in that quarter once the Cavs kind of got close to the lead and you guys responded by just going off on that tear a little bit yeah just staying together uh not really putting our heads down after teams going runs like that and then really the

Communication and the time I was on the court know just problem problem solving and just you know just communicating among each other staying together and and you know still playing for each other so that’s what really you know helped us push the lead on front you

Seem to have a fair amount of energy I mean there’s one play where you you you drove and you got fouled pretty hard you popped up really quick I mean you were rebounding you were passing I mean could you sense that your teammates were kind of feeding off of whatever energy that

You had for sure yeah um you know sometimes when teams go on runs we get down so this game I just wanted to you know stop my comfort zone a little bit and just get the team you know fired up and just lead by example and you know

Today a little bit more talk so you know so we don’t go in another like losing hole so get this win get a day off and then right back to it with Orlando so I feel like I just want to stop my comfort zone this game and just lead lead the

Guys and you know it was a good thing I did so how do you guys go from a night like tonight where you guys are talking and communicating and energetic because shots are falling mhm to being able to be that way when some of those shots don’t go down yeah it’s just

Uh just the ability to do it you just have to do it um obviously you know everybody’s every wants to make shots and you’re not going to you’re going to get down when you miss open shots that we normally make but at the same time we

Just have to put the team first and just if you’re not making shots just you know where’s me anybody if you’re not making shots just keep the team first and just you know bring something else bring something else whever that is whether it’s get on the floor just talking or

Rebounding or just you know getting a good stop on defense getting getting the bench hyped up so just whatever you got to do just to keep the energy that’s what you got to do so what we’re making them or missing them we just got to keep

That energy up no matter what just find our stuff to do so that’s it is it help sorry you were talking about just like finding ways um you’re able to find various ways when shots didn’t fall for you in just that first half you’re still able to create be that playmaker and

Then also just grab rebounds just how are you able to just navigate and finding your moments to attack at certain parts of this match up yeah just uh just knowing how they always try to guard me they always try to take away the mid-range a little bit and have you

Know people sink in the paint so I knew coming out early I have to be a facilitator and get guys get guys going um you know guys were making shots for me early uh J Will sh uh Dolan Kell you know they was getting a lot of open

Looks off me just probing the paint in the mid-range and their man sinking in so just my job to find them and you know they make it they make it Miss it’s just the right read but I have trust that they’ll make those shots every time they’re wide open so really just looking

How they guarded me and then just knowing when to pick my spot just knowing certain lineups I can get you know get more aggressive and just stuff like that just reading the game is it helpful for you guys kind of learning how to process when when shots are

Falling how to play the eny is it helpful these last three losses where you have had to learn from that the hard way where now it’s like okay we have evidence here let’s learn from that and try to change it going forward say it again the last three losses you guys had

There was questions about energy and focus and you saying how much you guys have learned how to play through that can those be examples for how you guys can like shake it off and get better next game with the energy and everything like that yeah obviously obviously but

At the same time just towards the end of the year we just have to do it you know we can’t keep talking about that effort energy and stuff we just have to get out there and do it if we want to get in the

Play in we just have to do it we can’t just keep getting up here and talking about the energy and effort we just have to come out every game with the energy and effort knowing what’s at stake so I’m I’m kind of in the group of just do

It at this point cuz honestly I’m just it’s tiring talking about the same thing after a loss about the energy and effort you know it’s kind of cliche the same thing we say all the time we just have to do it so you know that’s all it is to

It this is your second game back if I look at the stat sheet you look great but overall how do you feel I know Kevin ol said that he might thought about taking you out of the game but you hit some big time threes how do you feel

Coming off with this one you know I’m always fine I’m always ready to play um I don’t want to say that I’m not going to say you know I had two years of in and out of playing so every chance I get a playing I want to play no matter

What so hurt injured healthy I just want to play so you know but you know I crit you know KO for trusting me in these situ with the ball making decisions injured you know playing through injury or whatever it is just trusting me and just trusting

That I’m make the right play for the team so you know I credit him a lot for that and my teammates for also trusting me knowing that I can make the right play for him get him open shots whever that is so yeah it’s good for sure when

You got you said you got banged up did he say anything to you at that point about pulling you or to talk your way in back in or N I just seen what’s his name I seen I think it was Dennis just run into the scor table so I I already knew

I was coming out cuzz he did bang my you know calf or whatever is a little hard but then I hit a three with two threes and then I guess he was like shoot just leave him in so I was like that’s cool so that’s it and in Mel’s case just I

Mean obviously he’s been having a tough time shooting with us um you know how good must that be for him to finally see you know a couple of those shots that you normally yeah it’s good just um just me knowing how he is I know to get him

More easier looks obviously you know when I’m in the lineup I’m I’m more of the Creator kind of so I know to get him more open looks and more you know easier looks so even when the first play of the game I had a had a lay but I heard him

You know with SL or whatever he did and I found him in in transition hit the first three so I knew he’ll have a good game today so it’s just me recognizing to get him easier looks so that’s all it is let

Cam Thomas spoke to the media following the Nets vs. Cavaliers on March 10, 2024