Durant Back After Injury Like He Never Left

NBAJenna Powell

After missing two months and 26 games of basketball from a hamstring injury against the Golden State Warriors, NBA superstar Kevin Durant made his return to the Brooklyn Nets about three weeks back. Durant looked like he had picked up right where he had left off averaging 23.8 points, 6.3 assists and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 65.3 percent from the field, 58.8 percent from 3-point land and 95.5 percent from the free throw line over a four-game span. In the Net’s fifth game series against the Miami Heat, Durant suffered a thigh contusion just after seeming like he was back to his full strength. After missing another three games, Durant was able to take the floor against Phoenix Sunday night, much earlier than expected.

Scoring 10-points in the third quarter and five straight in the fourth, Durant put his team up by double-digits. He would finish the game with 33 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block in just 28 minutes of playing time. He shot 12-for-21 from the field and 2-for-3 from 3-point range.

The Nets advance to 11-8 on the season in games where they have both Irving and Durant in the lineup as the team tries to gain some continuity heading into the postseason.

Sports personalities Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless has some thoughts about Durant’s return.

In an article from CBS Sports, Durant said: “It’s like riding a bike, you get your footing right and you just get your rhythm going and I think my teammates did a great job of looking for me all game. I just wanted to, you know, resort back to that work that I put in, just the shots that I take in practice and shoot around, try to get those as much as possible to gain my rhythm, and I started to get a little bit more creative as the game started to progress.”

As of right now, the Nets remain in the top spot in the Eastern Conference with a record of 41-20. Following them are the 76ers, Bucks, Knicks, and Hawks. In the Western Conference, the top five teams include the Jazz, Suns, Clippers, Nuggets, and Lakers.