- Oct 16, 2026
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SportsMafia Wire graphic. Team logos and player headshots via ESPN.
Meleek Thomas made an immediate impact in his NBA debut, scoring 16 points in 19 minutes to help the Cavaliers defeat the Timberwolves 127-125 in overtime.
The 20-year-old guard, selected 34th overall in June's NBA draft, entered the game with 5:53 left in the first quarter for Peyton Watson. Thomas tallied 10 points before halftime, becoming Cleveland's leading scorer at the break. He finished 6 of 10 from the field and 4 of 5 from three-point range, adding two rebounds and one steal.
Thomas did not appear in Cleveland's first two games against Philadelphia and Brooklyn. He sat the final 9:35 of this contest. His 16 points marked the second-most by a Cavaliers rookie debuting off the bench, trailing only Brevin Knight's 18 against Houston on Oct. 31, 1997.
Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 25 points as the Cavaliers overcame a 15-point first-half deficit. Coach Kenny Atkinson said he played Thomas because the team needed a third ball handler alongside Mitchell and James Harden.
Thomas, who averaged 15.6 points and shot 41.6% from three-point range at Arkansas last season, drew pre-draft comparisons to CJ McCollum. After the game, Thomas said, "You can't keep a star in the closet."
Source: ESPN - Tue Oct 27, 12:17 AM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).