Thomas makes impressive return

Isaiah Thomas had one last wait.

Sitting on the scorer’s table, Thomas could see the end of his seventh-month odyssey in front of him. And when the buzzer finally sounded and the Cleveland crowd erupted for a player it barely knows, Thomas took the last few steps onto the court and completed a trip he hopes to never take again. He was all the way back.

Thomas showed flashes of what made him an AllStar in his long-awaited debut for the Cavaliers, who snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Portland Trail Blazers 127110 on Tuesday night.

“It’s been a long journey for me,” Thomas said. “I couldn’t really see the light at the end of the tunnel. For that day to come the first couple days of 2018, it’s going to be a special year.”

It was a special night for Thomas, who scored 17 points and played 19 minutes in his first game in seven months.

Damian Lillard scored 25 for the Blazers after missing five games with a hamstring injury.

Thomas hadn’t played since May 19 because of a torn labrum in his hip that ended his 2017 postseason with Boston.

SPURS 100, KNICKS 91 >> Kawhi Leonard had a season-high 25, and San Antonio beat New York to give Gregg Popovich sole possession of fifth place on the NBA’s coaching wins list. Popovich has 1,176 victories, all with the Spurs. The fivetime champion broke a tie with George Karl.

SUNS 104, HAWKS 103 >> Devin Booker sank three free throws with 12.3 seconds to play to cap a Phoenix rally from 10 down in the final two minutes.

HORNETS 131, KINGS 111 >> Dwight Howard had 20 points and eight rebounds, and Charlotte built a big early lead and beat Sacramento.

CLIPPERS 113, GRIZZLIES 105 >> Lou Williams scored 33 points off the bench to lead to lead Los Angeles to its fourth consecutive win.