Enjoying his first official dwelling sport for the Phoenix Suns, Kevin Durant admitted that there was excessive anticipation on his half resulting in the crew’s Wednesday matchup in opposition to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“It was arduous for me to get sleep at the moment, it was arduous for me to cease fascinated by the sport and typically you’ll be able to need it too badly and also you come on the market and also you begin speeding and begin being uncharacteristic,” Durant stated in his presser.
“I’m glad I’m again, I’m glad I’m taking part in once more and being one of many guys. Simply constructing from right here.”
Durant took three extra weeks of wait to lastly play his dwelling debut in entrance of the Suns’ followers. He notably sustained a nasty, undesirable ankle damage throughout his pregame warmup final Mar. 8 in opposition to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder.
On account of his absence, Phoenix has gone 4-6 on the 10-game stretch with out him. However fortunately sufficient, they have been in a position to keep their maintain within the Western Convention’s fourth seed now improved to 41-35 upon snatching a gritty 107-100 victory over the visiting Wolves.
With the entire sellout crowd of Phoenix fanbase warmly cheering his first look in Footprint Heart as a Solar, Durant nonetheless felt nervous in himself given the size of his inactivity simply to recuperate once more from his second damage this yr.
Durant bricked his first six shot makes an attempt previous to nailing a fadeaway from the left facet simply after the halftime buzzer sounded.
Upon switching sport sneakers, he proceeded to register 16 factors in 29 minutes for the entire course of the night, albeit inconsistent with a 5-for-18 taking pictures. Durant additionally had eight rebounds and 4 assists.
The celebrity ahead, who was acquired by the franchise in a blockbuster deal final commerce deadline from the Brooklyn Nets, revealed that he handled a number of thought processes being on the ground once more.
“A few these photographs, although, I undoubtedly [was rushing] and attempting to get all of it again directly,” Durant stated of his shot choices. “I can get in my very own method typically pondering an excessive amount of, attempting to get these photographs again. Making an attempt to settle in as a lot as I can.”
However, what mattered probably the most is that they have been in a position to seal the wanted victory because the playoff race within the West stays tight as it’s with two weeks left into the common season.
With Durant taking part in, the Suns have gone 4-0. They took the primary three wins previous to Durant being sidelined because of the unintentional slip in his exercise.
Amid the chilly evening, Phoenix can solely hope that conditions will get even higher with their latest star lastly on the town.
“Entire metropolis has been ready on this,” Devin Booker stated of Durant’s return on Wednesday. “It’s a extremely particular evening. A giant evening within the historical past of the group and the followers confirmed the love that was deserved.”