Durant set the tone for a dominant performance in the opening two minutes with a superb floater as the Thunder blew away Utah at the Vivint Smart Home Arena.
“It felt good,” said Durant, who hit 10 of 13 shots from the field and three of six from three-point range.
“It’s just like he never left,” Thunder guard Russell Westbrook added. “Obviously, he is one of the best scorers in the world and he can get a bucket.”
Westbrook had 20 points with nine assists and seven rebounds as the Thunder improved to 9-6 overall.
Thunder coach Billy Donovan was relieved to see Durant return to form, insisting he had not been rushed back.
“I think our medical team does a great job. No one is going to put Kevin Durant out there when he’s not 100 percent ready to go,” Donovan said.
“He’s worked hard to get himself back. I give Kevin a lot of credit for that. He really gets himself prepared to play every game.”
Utah forward Gordon Hayward meanwhile hit out at the one-sided manner of the loss.
“We got outplayed in every way tonight,” Hayward said. “It’s unacceptable. It’s embarrassing.”
© AFP
