CLEVELAND (AP) - Cavaliers point guard Isaiah Thomas will make his debut for Cleveland on Tuesday night against Portland after being sidelined with a hip injury.
The All-Star has been out since last year's Eastern Conference finals, when he played with Boston. After months of grueling rehab, Thomas will finally take the floor with Cleveland, which acquired him during the offseason in a blockbuster trade that sent Kyrie Irving to the Celtics.
Thomas has building up his strength in recent weeks in scrimmages. He finally has been cleared to play in a game.
Thomas will not play in back-to-back games, so he'll miss Wednesday's game in Boston.
The Cavs are eager to incorporate Thomas, who averaged nearly 29 points last season, into their offense. He gives coach Tyronn Lue another proven scorer who can take some of the pressure off LeBron James.
Lue says Thomas will initially come off the bench.
