Kevin Durant’s long awaited Brooklyn Nets debut didn’t disappoint Tuesday, the two-time NBA Finals MVP teaming seamlessly with Kyrie Irving...
Kevin Durant’s long awaited Brooklyn Nets debut didn’t disappoint Tuesday, the two-time NBA Finals MVP teaming seamlessly with Kyrie Irving in a 125-99 opening day blowout over the Golden State Warriors.
Durant hadn’t played since suffering a devastating torn Achilles tendon playing for the Warriors against Toronto in game five of the championship series on June 10, 2019.
He was still recovering from surgery when he bolted for the Nets as a free agent and sat out all of the pandemic-disrupted 2019-20 campaign.
Irving scored 26 points with four rebounds and four assists. Durant added 22 points with five rebounds and three assists and all of the Nets starters sat out the fourth quarter with the game well in hand.
“It felt good,” Durant said. “I didn’t approach it any different. The pre-season games I kind of felt the same energy, but it’s good to get a win.”
The win also gave two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash a victory in his first game as a head coach.
Canada’s Nash was a surprise pick for the Nets job after five years as player development coordinator for the Warriors.
The contest at Barclays Center in Brooklyn was the first of two on Tuesday.
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, who wrapped up their 17th title with a...
