Nets' Cam Thomas Out vs. Clippers with Ankle Injury; 7th in NBA with 28.7 PPG

The Brooklyn Nets will be hoping Cam Thomas avoided a long-term injury on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Thomas suffered a left ankle sprain in the third quarter of Wednesday's matchup and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest, per Meghan Triplett of YES Network.

The 22-year-old appeared to roll his ankle stepping on P.J. Tucker's foot.

Thomas notched 14 points and two rebounds in 20 minutes before exiting.

Losing Thomas for any amount of time is a tough blow for the Nets as the LSU product has been one of the best players in the NBA this season. He entered Wednesday's game averaging 28.7 points—which ranks seventh in the league—4.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 48.3 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from deep.

The loss of Thomas is also particularly difficult for the Nets as Ben Simmons (hip), Cameron Johnson (leg) and Nic Claxton (ankle) are all out with injuries. That leaves Brooklyn with Spencer Dinwiddie and Mikal Bridges as the team's best scoring threats.

If Thomas misses an extended period of time, Lonnie Walker IV figures to see more playing time alongside Dennis Smith Jr.

The Nets selected Thomas in the first round of the 2021 draft with the expectation that he would be a scoring threat off the bench behind Kyrie Irving, James Harden and Kevin Durant.

With the trio having exited Brooklyn, Thomas was expected to step up, and he has exceeded any and all expectations.

Speaking with HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, Thomas credited Irving and Durant for helping him develop his game during their time in Brooklyn.

"I learned a lot. I'd say they helped me with the speed of the game. They don't let anything speed them up and have patience on offense," Thomas said. "It'll always come back to you, so you don't really have to force anything. That's the main thing. Let the game come to you because, eventually, the ball will come around to you."

The Nets entered Wednesday's game against the Clippers eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 3-4 record. They'll be back in action again on Friday against the Boston Celtics for in-season tournament action.