SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Isaiah Thomas dropped three quick 3-point points, showing that his shot is still there.
Eliminating 12 months of rust was not so easy.
Thomas scored 19 points in his first competitive game in over a year, helping the United States win a 93-77 victory over the Bahamas on Friday in a Fiba qualifying game for AmeriCup.
“My first time in a year, so I was a little rusty, but it was amazing to be there competing against really good players and also representing my country,” said Thomas.
Thomas, 32, was an NBA All-Star twice who scored 28.9 points per game for the Boston Celtics in the 2016-17 season. But he suffered a hip injury at the end of the season and has never recovered that form in limited opportunities.
He decided to play for the Americans in part as a showcase in the hopes of winning his way back to the NBA, where he recently played for Washington last February.
Thomas – like many NBA players – had some problems adjusting to the ball and the way the international game is refereed. But he was satisfied with his movement and conditioning and said he would correct his mistakes on Saturday.
“The world knows that I have what it takes. So it’s just about showing that I’m healthy,” said Thomas. “My skill didn’t go anywhere, it was just to be one hundred percent healthy, which I am now.”
The 5-foot-9 guard led the Americans to an 11-2 lead with their three consecutive 3 points. But he also made six twists that helped keep the Bahamas in the game much longer than expected, with a particularly difficult stretch in the second quarter, when he had consecutive twists and had his shot blocked.
US coach Joe Prunty thought Thomas played well.
“Yes, definite turnovers,” said Prunty. “There were certain things defensively, assignments in which he had to fight things. Sometimes he fought, sometimes not. This is part of our defense, however, in terms of communication. It’s not always just about one guy.”
“But overall, I was very pleased with the way he moved on the ground. He managed to catch us in the attack for the most part, execute our attack and, of course, give some kicks.”
James Nunnally also scored 19 points for Americans. They improved to 5-0 in the qualifiers and can remain perfect through three windows by defeating Mexico on Saturday.
The United States has already secured a seat in the AmeriCup tournament to be played in 2022, but has brought a strong squad to San Juan that features eight players with experience in the regular NBA season. Along with Thomas, the other noteworthy name was the seven-time All-Star Joe Johnson, who finished with 11 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists.
Still, the US led by just 10 in the fourth quarter, after beating the Bahamas by 40 in the November window. The lead was still 83-72 before Thomas made a tray and 3 points to push him to 88-72, and the Americans finally stopped there.
Qualifying games have been added as a way to give teams the opportunity to play at home, but all four teams in Group D are playing this weekend in San Juan in a bubble because of the coronavirus.
Brandon Bass finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds for the USA. Another former NBA player, Treveon Graham, left the game with an apparent leg injury in the third period.
Travis Munnings scored 22 points in the Bahamas (1-4).