As he entered a game for the first time as a member of the Cavaliers, Isaiah Thomas was greeted with a standing ovation by the sellout crowd at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland on Tuesday night.
Thomas, the All-Star guard who was acquired in a trade with the Boston Celtics this off-season, showed flashes of his former, brilliant self in his return from a hip injury. He threw crisp passes, fought his way to the basket, drew a technical foul for arguing and threw up five shots in his first five minutes on the court. His return helped put an end to Cleveland’s three-game losing streak as the Cavaliers beat the Portland Trail Blazers, 127-110.