‘Explosive’ Durant scores 15 points in first game back

Kevin Durant still can score in bunches.

The four-time NBA scoring champion returned from a lengthy injury absence to score 15 points in his debut with the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday night.

Durant ruptured the Achilles tendon in his right leg during the 2019 NBA Finals. He left the Golden State Warriors after that season and joined the Nets, but he missed the entire 2019-20 season while recovering, delaying his chance to play with close friend Kyrie Irving.

Durant played just under 24 minutes as Brooklyn beat the Washington Wizards 119-114 in its preseason opener.

"It felt great to be back in the routine, and be back on the floor and feel like a player again," Durant said. "It felt great. Everybody's texting and calling and asking me how I'm feeling. I can't wait until that's over with so I can get back in the swing of things and just feel like one of the guys again."

Durant looked confident as he donned No. 7 instead of the familiar No. 35 he had worn for Oklahoma City and Golden State. His first basket on Sunday was a driving two-handed dunk.

"It's one thing to come back," said Steve Nash, the Nets' new coach. "It's another thing to come back and look as explosive and mobile and skilful as he has after a long lay-off. I'm incredibly proud of him."

Durant and Irving played the first nine minutes, 27 seconds of the game together. Durant scored 11 points on 3-for-3 shooting during that stretch, while Irving scored 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting to help the Nets take a 30-18 lead.

Late in the first half, Irving threw a long pass to Durant, whose reverse lay-up gave the Nets a 58-35 lead. Brooklyn's largest lead was 26 points in the second quarter.

Irving finished with 18 points in just over 17 minutes in his own return, having been limited to 20 games last season because of a shoulder injury.

"That's one of the perks of this position, is you get to coach two incredible players," Nash said. "Ky was super sharp and Kevin, after such an extensive lay-off, was very good and close to being incredible."

The Nets shot 63.9 per cent in the first half to take a 68-50 lead at the break.

Durant played about six minutes in the second half and Irving didn't play at all. The Wizards took advantage and even took the lead briefly in the fourth quarter before Brooklyn regained control late.

Durant said he felt good after the game, but he wouldn't say he was back to his old self.

"I can't tell after one preseason game," he said. "I felt good. I want to play at the highest level of basketball, the highest intensity of basketball, and it's not in the preseason. But it's a good first step."