Cam Thomas out at least 3 weeks with hamstring strain, Kevin Durant says he still has love for Brooklyn

NEW YORK — Cam Thomas has been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain and will miss at least three weeks, the Brooklyn Nets announced on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old guard suffered the injury in the third quarter of Monday’s 128-120 defeat of the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Head coach Jordi Fernandez said he took Thomas out of the game midway through the period to “protect him from himself.” He left the court with 23 points. Even without Thomas on the court, the Nets rallied from an 18-point deficit in San Francisco and pulled off the upset win.

“There was no frustration,” Fernandez said on Monday when asked about Thomas’ feelings when pulled from the game. “Cam was very efficient ... I just wanted to protect him, and we need Cam Thomas.”

Thomas had missed only one game this season before Wednesday’s diagnosis was revealed. He ranked 14th in the NBA in scoring, averaging career highs of 24.7 points on 46.1% shooting from the field and 38.9% from 3-point range. He also scored 34 points on 11-of-22 shooting in Sunday’s 108-103 defeat of the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center.

Brooklyn was 8-10 entering Wednesday’s road game against the Phoenix Suns. Without its leading scorer in Thomas, the road ahead projects to be difficult for Fernandez and the Nets, especially when factoring in other injury updates shared by the team on Wednesday.

When it rains, it pours

The Nets also announced on Wednesday that Noah Clowney has been diagnosed with a left ankle sprain and will miss at least two weeks. The second-year forward suffered the injury in the fourth quarter against Sacramento on Monday.

Adding to Brooklyn’s frontcourt woes, Nic Claxton will miss Wednesday’s game against Phoenix because of lower back injury management. He did not play in Monday’s game against Golden State and is considered day-to-day.

The Nets will not have the luxury of a healthy center for the time being, but other frontcourt reinforcements are on the way. Day’Ron Sharpe, who has not appeared in a game this season because of a hamstring injury, has resumed full on-court team activity and is expected to return to the lineup within the next week.

True to Brooklyn

Former Nets star Kevin Durant spoke to the media ahead of the Suns’ matchup with Brooklyn on Wednesday. While his tenure in Brooklyn ended on a low note, the 14-time All-Star said he still harbors positive feelings toward his former team.

“I’m a Net for life. I’m always going to say that; I always feel that,” Durant told azcentral’s Dana Scott. “It’s going to be in my heart and my blood forever. So, it’s always good to see family, people that I grinded with. But they’re playing great ball. People didn’t expect them to be out here beating teams like Golden State ... They have some good wins throughout the season so far. So, I’m looking forward to seeing everybody and competing against them.”

Wednesday will be Durant’s third meeting with the Nets since he was traded to the Suns at the 2023 deadline. He averaged 29 points per game in a Brooklyn uniform, although the Big 3 of him, Kyrie Irving and James Harden ultimately failed because of factors beyond basketball.

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