If Wednesday was a sign of things to come, the rest of the NBA had better watch out for the Phoenix Suns. Kevin Durant made his debut with the team against the Charlotte Hornets and the Suns won going away, 105-91.
Durant had a solid first night back as he has been sidelined since early January because of an MCL sprain. He played 27 minutes, scoring 23 points with six rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
After the game, he spoke about his fit with the team. He believes that he is fitting in pretty well and appreciates all of the efforts that the coaching staff and his teammates are doing in helping him acclimate himself to a new situation.
“I feel like I fit in pretty well. Everybody out there was trying to make me as comfortable as possible,” Durant said. “I just got to keep grinding, man, and this jersey on me will look normal as games go on.”
Teams are going to have their hands full attempting to slow down Durant, one of the greatest scorers that the league has ever seen. His presence is going to make things even easier for Devin Booker, who poured in a game-high 37 points to go along with six rebounds and seven assists.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kevin Durant & Phoenix Suns Updates
Booker’s life is going to get much easier as teams will no longer be able to load up their defense on him. He was in awe of what his new teammate was able to accomplish as whatever the Hornets threw at him he was able to counter.
“This is one of those moments that doesn’t really feel real,” Booker said. “I mean, it’s just every time he shoots the ball, it’s just so effortless. You can see defenders trying their hardest to contest or fight over a screen, and he just looks unbothered, unfazed.”
While the first game was certainly a good one, there is still plenty of work left to do. The Hornets are on their way to the lottery, so the Suns will face much stiffer tests in the coming weeks as they gear up for what they hope is a deep playoff run.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kevin Durant & Phoenix Suns Updates
Durant is motivated to not only win another ring but to prove to his new team that he remains one of the best players in the league. He feels a little pressure from that but is ready to attack it head-on.
“New environment, new situation, new teammates, I mean I always feel I got to prove myself to my teammates and my coaches every single day no matter what I’ve done in the league,” Durant said. “So I feel like there’s pressure to be who I am every day.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kevin Durant & Phoenix Suns Updates
On Wednesday night the Suns were close to full strength. The only rotation player that was missing was Terrence Ross. He will be a key piece of their bench unit going forward, providing a scoring spark with the second unit that they have lacked throughout the season.
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