Kevin Durant made a triumphant return on Tuesday night after missing the previous 18 months due to an ACL injury. In his Brooklyn Nets competitive debut, Durant scored 22 points in 25 minutes of play to lead the team to a blowout 125-99 win over the Golden State Warriors.
Despite the long break, Durant seemed comfortable on the court, draining jumpers, getting to the rim, and not being afraid of contact. He was also a pest on the defensive end of the ball, finishing the night with three steals, one block, and four defensive rebounds.
Durant had huge help from Kyrie Irving, who was also coming off an injury that prematurely ended his 2019-20 season. Irving drained 26 points while adding four assists.
Thanks to Durant and Irving’s play, Brooklyn was never in danger of losing control of the game. They had a 15-point lead after the first quarter and continued to build on that, which enabled them to rest most of the starters in the fourth quarter.
Speaking with reporters after the game, Durant didn’t want to focus on his return or the fact that he got the win against his former team. Instead, the 32-year-old superstar said he just enjoyed a positive start of the season and hopes the team will be able to build on it and have a successful run.
“I think we had a solid first start,” said Durant. “So we want to build on it. I was looking forward to coming out here and getting a ‘W,’ and I was glad we were able to come out and finish the job.”
