After missing almost two months, Kevin Durant is back. And it was great.
And a winner.
Durant’s return from a hamstring injury took the Nets to another level in a 139-111 pelican shot before 1777 at Barclays Center. The victory increased the Nets (36-16) to first place in the Eastern Conference, half a game ahead of the 76ers.
While James Harden watched from the bench with a hamstring, Durant returned after missing 23 straight games with his own hamstring. Wednesday was his first action on Feb. 13 at Golden State and his first Net game in front of Brooklyn fans.
Durant missed last season recovering from an Achilles rupture, and COVID-19 forced the Nets to start this season without fans at Barclays Center. The first taste of the fans with their star player was a sweet one. Durant had 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists (and was a plus-17) in just 19 minutes on the bench. It also had six turnovers.
“I expected to come here and play the way I played. I wasn’t trying to get into the game. I just wanted to go there and dive straight into the action, ”said Durant. “It was good to play in front of the fans.”
Kyrie Irving had 24 points and six assists, and LaMarcus Aldridge added 22 points. But Durant was perfect upstairs (5-for-5), beyond the 3-point arc (2-for-2) and on the charity (5-for-5). In true MVP mode, he opened the game to everyone else.
As the game started to slip away for Steve Nash, the manager decided to change the tactical approach. He didn’t have to worry about the way the Nets exploded in New Orleans. The Nets shot 55.4 percent, were 19-for-41 deep and led by up to 38 points.
“Everyone is excited to see him, what an important part of our team he is. And he’s one of the greatest of all time, so seeing our boys back out was definitely interesting, it gave them a boost, ”Nash said. “We had a lot this year, boys inside and out. So it was nice to have him back.
“It was a long absence that no one predicted, even when it first happened. So we’re glad he felt good, played well and came back. And seeing the smile on my face was important for me too. So just excited for him. He loves the game more than anything and he has to be there playing ”.
When Durant took off his warm-ups and headed for the scoreboard in the second quarter, the Nets were already in control. When he checked in with 7:37 left in the middle – at a loud roar – they led 53-44.
Durant hit a change from an Irving feed to put the Nets 58-46 with 6:42 left in the half, sending them to the races.
From the moment Durant checked in until the break, the Nets hit 8 of 12 shots to close out the half in a 26-15 run.
“When we move our bodies and move basketball the way we did and talk about defense, it’s fun there,” Durant said. “You have veteran players who know how to play and it feels like these guys can finish my sentence before I finish. So these guys know the game from the outside. ”
Until he sat down again, with 4:46 left in the third, the Nets set up an extended 48-30 run that included the break. They shot a wrong 17-for-22 pattern with Durant on the floor during that prolonged offensive attack.
“You could see that I think there is a lot of potential there. It’s not hard to play basketball with Kevin Durant. It’s going to make the boys better, “Nash said.
“After losing two months and then coming back and looking so comfortable, it’s just crazy,” Blake Griffin said. “But when it comes to playing with him, players like that, some of the guys we have, simplify the game.”
The Nets opened their lead to 120-82 at the start of the fourth on a 3 by Chris Chiozza, and the rest of the game was garbage time.