Kevin Durant made his Suns debut against the Hornets on Wednesday night, leading his new team to a 105-91 victory in Charlotte.
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On Wednesday night, Kevin Durant made his much-anticipated debut for the Phoenix Suns against the Charlotte Hornets in Charlotte. Durant has been out with a knee ailment since early January, and the last time he played was with the Brooklyn Nets.
The Hornets came into the game with two fascinating narratives of their own. Prior to the game against Phoenix, they had won five straight games for the first time all season, and they revealed last week that star guard LaMelo Ball will miss the rest of the season due to a fractured right ankle. The evening’s main event, though, was definitely Durant’s debut.
A non-nationally broadcast game against the lottery-bound Hornets in the middle of the week presented Durant with a comfortable, low-pressure setting to ease back into play, albeit there didn’t appear to be much rust to shake off. He was limited in minutes before the game, and the Suns didn’t need him to put in much effort as they cruised to a 105-91 victory.
Durant played a total of 26 minutes in Charlotte, split between five different stints, recording 23 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. Overall, he reminded me a lot of Kevin Durant. And his presence didn’t stop his teammates from eating as well.
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Devin Booker had the most points among all scorers with 37 along with seven assists and six rebounds, and DeAndre Ayton recorded a double-double with 16 points and 16 rebounds. Chris Paul only had two points, but he had a game-high 11 assists. The Suns won’t need Paul to score as much with Durant and Booker as long as he creates open looks for his teammates.
Kelly Oubre Jr. led the way for Charlotte with 26 points and nine rebounds, while Terry Rozier added 20 points, six rebounds, and five assists of his own. The Hornets’ loss included the continued strong play of rookie Mark Williams, who finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds in 28 minutes.
Charlotte was clearly not the most difficult test for the Suns’ new look, but Durant looking like himself is wonderful news for a Phoenix squad that is suddenly looking like a significant contender in the Western Conference.
Watch the match highlights below.
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