For the first time in 18 months, Kevin Durant was back to playing in an NBA game.
The Brooklyn Nets star saw his first game action on Sunday in a preseason matchup against the Washington Wizards since he tore his Achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals.
It was his first time playing in a Nets uniform, too, wasting no time to make an impact as he drove down the court to throw down an easy dunk less than a minute into the game.
“Man, it felt good,” Durant said in a postgame interview. “Obviously, the circumstances are different. … It’s the first step for me as a player, getting back on the court, getting back into my routine. It felt good. I felt like I knocked some rust off early on, and I just have to keep building from here.”
Durant played 24 minutes, finishing with 15 points, three rebounds and three assists. He also appeared to jell with fellow star teammate Kyrie Irving, who had 18 points and four assists in 17 minutes of action.
Nets head coach Steve Nash will be tasked with managing Durant’s minutes as he works his way back after a year-and-a-half layoff, but Nash liked what he saw out of the 32-year-old star in his first game back.
“After such an extensive layoff, he was very good and close to being incredible,” Nash said, via USA Today’s Mark Medina. “He’s going to keep building and being comfortable with that type of injury. It’s kind of remarkable he’s at the level he’s at.”
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