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The Phoenix Suns defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 107-100 on Wednesday night in Kevin Durant's long-awaited home debut. Durant had suffered a left ankle sprain during warmups before a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 8. Before Wednesday's game, he was relieved to have cleared the first hurdle of making it through pregame warmups. Durant had an uncharacteristic shooting performance, scoring 16 points in 29 minutes, and shooting just 5-for-18 from the field. After the game, Durant acknowledged feeling jittery before his first home performance in Phoenix.
Durant started off 0-for-6 from the field and didn't register a field goal until 5:23 left in the second quarter. Despite the rust, his coach and teammates were happy to have him out on the floor again. They noted the openings he created for the rest of the group simply by being out on the floor. The Suns are now fourth in the Western Conference standings with just six regular-season games left. Devin Booker and veteran guard Chris Paul have no doubt that Durant will find his rhythm in no time.
Suns coach Monty Williams was pleased with Durant's effort and thought he battled on both ends of the court. Williams acknowledged that Durant's cardio needs to get back to the level he wants it to be and that once he achieves that, the team will see the Kevin that they all know. Despite his recent injuries, Durant shrugged off the idea that he had been cursed by the injury bug. He has learned how to conquer different parts of the game, including rehab, and he does his best to pick up where he left off.
Durant's new teammates could sense the jitters he was trying to shake off throughout the game. They noted that he is a rare breed who feels like he should make every single shot. The Suns are steadfast in the belief that their best days remain in front of them, and with Durant back in the fold, they know he has the ability to take them to another level this season. They are confident that they can perform even better, even when Durant is having an off night.
