• Cam Thomas scored a game-high 34 points in just his second game with the Milwaukee Bucks.
  • Doc Rivers likened Thomas to sixth‑man greats Jamal Crawford and Lou Williams.
  • Thomas shot 12-of-20, poured in 15 in the third and made key late buckets to seal the win.
  • Kevin Porter Jr. credited Thomas as the “hot hand” and fed him in crunch time.

Thomas erupts in second game with Bucks

Cam Thomas erupted for 34 points in only 25 minutes as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Orlando Magic. The scoring outburst came in Thomas’ second appearance with Milwaukee after he was waived by the Brooklyn Nets earlier in the week. The 24-year-old supplied the kind of instant offense Rivers and the Bucks hoped they were getting when they added him.

Thomas started slowly — 2 points on 1-of-5 shooting in the first quarter — but woke up in the second, hitting 3 of 4 shots for nine points. In the third, he drilled five of six field-goal attempts and hit all four free throws for a 15-point quarter that helped swing the game in Milwaukee’s favor. He finished 12-of-20 from the floor with four free throws and five late points that pushed him to 34.

Key plays and clutch moments

Milwaukee cleared out and let Thomas operate in isolation late in the game. With a two-point lead and about 90 seconds left, a transition pass from Kevin Porter Jr. found Thomas matched up against Wendell Carter Jr., and Porter trusted the hot hand.

Thomas then moved the clock down, created space and knocked down big shots in crunch time. One late 3-pointer — coming with under a minute to play — capped his night and proved decisive as the Bucks closed out the Magic.

Doc Rivers makes high-profile comparison

After the game, coach Doc Rivers — who has 27 years of head-coaching experience in the NBA — compared Thomas to two of the league’s best bench scorers of the past decade. “I’ve had Jamal Crawford. I had Lou Williams. And now, I have Cam Thomas,” Rivers said, calling Thomas a “natural scorer.”

Rivers acknowledged Thomas still needs coaching on certain tendencies. “Probably forced one or two today where he overdribbled. You live with that, and you teach that to get that out of him. But overall, he was fantastic.” The praise was notable coming so early in Thomas’ tenure with the team.

Teammates notice the hot hand

Kevin Porter Jr. emphasized the simple team principle that fueled the late offense: “You gotta get the ball to the hot hand. No matter who it is, I’m gonna give the ball to the hot hand, and it was Cam.” Porter credited Thomas for keeping the Bucks alive and delivering in the final minutes.

What this means for the Bucks

Thomas’ performance gives Milwaukee another combustible scoring option off the bench or in spot starts. If he can temper some ball‑stopping and keep making efficient shots, Thomas could slot into the kind of sixth‑man role Rivers referenced — a dynamic scorer who changes the flow of a game in short bursts.

For now, the Bucks have a proven bucket-getter they can lean on, and Thomas has given Rivers and the roster a vivid reminder of his scoring upside.

Image Referance: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7040575/2026/02/11/cam-thomas-stats-bucks-magic-bench/