Meleek Thomas had to wait to make his debut with the Cleveland Cavaliers. When he was finally given the chance to play on Monday, he made the most of it.
The Cavaliers dealt the Minnesota Timberwolves their first loss of the season, escaping with a two-point win, 127-125, in overtime at Rocket Arena.
Thomas was an unlikely hero, finishing with 16 points, two rebounds, and one steal in 19 minutes off the bench. He shot 6-of-10 from the field, including 4-of-5 from three-point range.
Donovan Mitchell made sure to give credit to the 20-year-old guard.
“Everybody in here needs to give Meleek Thomas a round of applause. For a rookie debut, that kid’s gonna be special,” said Mitchell in the postgame interview.
“He was the spark when we didn’t have anything in the first half. He was the key, and we followed suit. It’s not many times you follow a rookie. So credit to him.”
Donovan Mitchell:
"Everybody in here deserves to give Meleek Thomas a round of applause"
James Harden: "No conscious."
Peyton Watson: "Talk about it." pic.twitter.com/TOXchf6V9C— RealCavsFans.com (@realcavsfans) October 27, 2026
Thomas, who lit up the Summer League, was glued to the bench in their first two games, as coach Kenny Atkinson opted for Craig Porter Jr. and Tyrese Protector in the second unit. With his impressive showing, Thomas may have earned a permanent spot in the rotation.
The former Arkansas standout fell to the second round in June. The Sacramento Kings drafted with him the No. 34 pick before trading him to the Cavaliers in exchange for Alex Karaban, whom the Wine and Gold selected with the No. 29 pick.
With Mitchell’s stamp of approval, Williams will only get more confident.
The Cavaliers will visit the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.
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