Nets’ Cam Thomas has started ‘on-court activities’

Prior to tipoff against the 76ers on Jan. 4, the Nets revealed that Cam Thomas suffered a new left hamstring strain and would be reevaluated after their 10-day, six-game West Coast road trip.

In their first home game back at Barclays Center on Tuesday night in what was a 99-95 loss to the Knicks, the Nets had no major update on their top scorer, but said Thomas has started “on-court activities” with “no contact,” per coach Jordi Fernandez.

“He’s done a great job and everything looks good,” Fernandez said.

Thomas, who has been averaging a career-high 24.7 points per game, first suffered a hamstring injury from a routine stepback against the Warriors on Nov. 25. It kept him out of 13 games.

The 23-year-old returned only to play two games before suffering the second hamstring injury on Jan. 2 against the Bucks. He has since missed 10 games and the Nets have gone 1-9 in that span.

“I think it was discomfort,” Fernandez said of the injury on Jan. 4. “Because at some point, I can see the difference between the first half and second half, energy-wise and efficiency. But I can also think, ‘Well, you haven’t played in a while, so, you know, you’re not as fresh,’ so I don’t know. I have no idea, but, you know, he did a good job getting back and being ready to play.

“He started great, the two games. Orlando, and being able to get back, both games were very efficient in the first stint he played. And now this injury is — I feel for him, because obviously we want CT with us, and he was doing a great job scoring efficiently. And you know, day-to-day, we want to have him around, and we will have him around, it’s just not on the court. But we know he’ll be back soon.”

Mikal Bridges received a welcome back graphic as he was introduced in the Knicks starting lineup on Tuesday. It was his first game in Brooklyn after the blockbuster summer trade that sent him to Manhattan.

Bridges scored 10 points, which was a significant dip from his 43 combined points against the Nets in back-to-back games in November at the Garden.

D’Angelo Russell, who was listed as questionable with left hamstring tightness injury management, tallied 23 points and 10 assists, which is his second 20/10 game of the season and his first in the Nets.

He also had a career-high-tying three blocked shots.

Ben Simmons, who had been listed as probable to play, sat out with an illness.

Bojan Bogdanovic (left foot injury recovery), Maxwell Lewis (left tibia fracture), Trendon Watford (left hamstring strain) and Ziaire Williams (left ankle sprain) also did not play Tuesday.