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Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns reacts in the second quarter during the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on March 01, 2023 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images NORTH AMERICA/Getty Images via AFP)
Kevin Durant shook off his pregame jitters to score 23 points in his Phoenix Suns debut, helping his new team to a 105-91 win in Charlotte that snapped the Hornets’ NBA streak of five games.
Durant was acquired from Brooklyn in a blockbuster trade three weeks ago, but was sidelined until Wednesday with a sprained knee ligament.
While Durant announced his arrival in the Western Conference, back in the East, the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics continued to jockey for dominance.
The Bucks beat the Orlando Magic 139-117, their 16th straight victory that puts them half a game ahead of the Celtics atop the conference.
The Celtics, with 41 points from a resurgent Jayson Tatum, beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-113 in Boston.
KEVIN DURANT IS THE BEST AS PHOENIX SURYA. pic.twitter.com/YtD1xWgFO3
– Phoenix Suns (@Suns) March 2, 2023
Durant was able to play limited minutes, scoring 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting in less than 27 minutes on the floor.
He added six rebounds, a pair of assists and several blocked shots, complementing fellow freshman Devin Booker’s 37 points.
“I’ve played in almost a thousand basketball games, but today I was nervous,” admitted Durant, who scored his first points as a Sun with a silky layup less than two minutes into the contest.
“But when the ball is caught by my teammates it’s amazing it makes me feel good and I just try to go out and play my game.”
Phoenix is in fourth place in the West, 10 games behind conference leader Denver and three behind the Sacramento Kings.
Even as he continues to work his way back to full fitness, Durant has shown what an asset he can be as he tries to climb the table.
Durant scored 12 points in the first half as the Suns took a 16-point lead.
The Hornets, whose rising star LaMelo Ball had season-ending surgery on a broken ankle earlier Wednesday, trimmed the deficit to six points heading into the final quarter.
Durant started the period and helped the Suns pull away.
“Man, I miss the game,” Durant said. “I’m glad my knee is back on the right side, I’m glad I’m on my way to playing more and more minutes every game.
“I’m looking forward to what we can build from this.”
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