Watch Durant’s debut in the video player above>>
new Age.
Phoenix has been waiting a long time for a superstar to lead it to its first championship in its history, and tonight (between Wednesday and Thursday), the man who is supposed to step into those shoes, launched the most interesting experiment in the NBA. Kevin Durant made his debut in the Suns uniform and helped secure a 91:105 victory over Charlotte on the road with 23 points (10 of 15 from the field, 2 of 4 from three, 1 of 1 from the line), 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks in 27 minutes. Devin Booker excelled with 37 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds.Three weeks have passed since the trade that shocked the basketball world, in which Durant was sent from Brooklyn to Arizona along with TJ Warren in exchange for Michael Bridges, Cam Johnson, four first-round picks, Jae Crowder and a swap for a 2028 first-round pick. Phoenix fans have been patiently waiting for a star who hasn’t played since the beginning of January due to a knee injury and starting today they can simply enjoy an amount of talent that you don’t see every day.
One minute and 54 seconds into his debut, Durant scored his first layup basket, about a minute and a half later he nailed a 3-pointer in transition after blocking the tall rookie Mark Williams and Devin Booker for a 0:11 lead. At halftime the guest led 41:57 when Durant had 12 points and at the peak the difference was 20.
The Hornets minimized damage and entered the final quarter trailing 79:73, but then Durant scored 9 points in 4 and a half minutes on the way to an 80:91 advantage, and the Suns held on until the end. Booker scored some important baskets and the group from the desert went up to the balance 29:34. DeAndre Ayton added 16 points and 16 rebounds, Chris Paul was held to 2 points (1 of 8 from the field) but handed out 11 assists.
For Charlotte, which dropped to 44:20 and surrendered after five consecutive victories, Kelly Oubra (9 rebounds) and Terry Rozier scored 26 and 20 respectively. Durant’s next test will be held in another 48 hours against Chicago away.
The finish and the foul.
9 points in the fourth already for KD. pic.twitter.com/dRV45MFaib
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) March 2, 2023