Kathy Willens/Associated Press
The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Washington Wizards 119-114 all the method thru Sunday’s preseason game, however the closing fetch changed into once removed from the biggest storyline.
Kevin Durant made his Nets debut after lacking the 2019-20 season with a ruptured Achilles.
Later on, he urged journalists the game changed into once “an proper first step”:
Durant also let it be identified that he had “visualized this moment for goodbye”:
In an interview with YES Network, Durant basic that he felt as even though he changed into once ready to knock some rust off all the method thru the game.
“It be the important step for me as a player,” he said. “… I felt admire I knocked some rust off early on, and I’ve gotta merely wait on building from right here.”
Durant played 24 minutes and finished with 15 parts, three assists, three rebounds and two blocks on 5-of-12 shooting from the self-discipline. Kyrie Irving led the crew with 18 parts, while Spencer Dinwiddie did quite bit of the total lot with 10 parts, seven assists and six boards.
There changed into once no doubt some fright amongst Nets followers as Durant took the courtroom for the important time in goodbye, but he wasted no time inserting some of that to rest.
He gave Brooklyn its first parts of the game by utilizing to his left and elevating for a two-handed dunk. He also blended in some mid-vary jumpers and regarded as soft as ever for extended stretches, even as he worked off some of that rust.
That Irving, Dinwiddie and Durant all build up stable numbers changed into once also principal and suggests they’ll play collectively and thrive.
Keeping them wholesome is the key to the Nets’ 2020-21 season, and the crew must smooth be a title contender if Durant is the the same player he changed into once before the atomize. In spite of the total lot, he is a two-time champion, two-time NBA Finals MVP, nine-time All-NBA decision, four-time scoring champion and 10-time All-Critical one who’s merely about impossible to check up with within the inaugurate ground or in half-courtroom items.
Throw within the admire Irving will no doubt plot and Durant’s ability to lift unbiased correct thing about that site as an all-time-mountainous scorer, and it would perchance be refined for any crew to unimaginative the Nets all the method thru the customary season.
Sunday changed into once the important step.
