Suns' Kevin Durant on Return from Injury: 'We Got Through That S--t!'
Phoenix Suns superstar forward Kevin Durant wasn't at his best Wednesday night, but he seemed thrilled to get through a 107-100 home win over the Minnesota Timberwolves without injury.
According to ESPN's Nick Friedell, KD exclaimed, "We got through that s--t!" once he reached the training room after the game.
Wednesday's tilt marked Durant's home debut with the Suns after missing the past 10 games with an ankle sprain suffered during pregame warmups prior to the March 8 game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Before that, Durant had appeared in just three games for the Suns following his pre-deadline trade from the Brooklyn Nets.
The 34-year-old veteran struggled to find his rhythm at times Wednesday, going just 5-of-18 from the field for 16 points to go along with eight rebounds and four assists. That included making just one of his eight shot attempts in the first half.
Durant suggested he may have been pressing a bit due to his desire to have a great first showing in front of the home fans, saying:
"It was hard for me to get sleep today. It was hard for me to stop thinking about the game. Sometimes you can want it too bad. And you come out there and play like you start rushing and start being uncharacteristic. I'm glad I'm back. I'm glad I'm into the zone of playing again and being around the guys and being one of the guys again, just keep building from here."
Durant's presence did seem to make life easier for his teammates, though, as both Devin Booker and Chris Paul excelled with KD commanding some extra defensive attention.
Phoenix was considered a top contender to represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals when it acquired Durant from the Nets, and with his best basketball in front of him, it does feel like the Suns will be a tough out come playoff time.
Staying healthy has undoubtedly been a struggle for Durant this season, as he has missed 31 games between the Nets and Suns, but he finally finds himself in a good place with just six games remaining in the regular season for Phoenix.
Typically, Durant is a dominant force when he is healthy and playing. That has largely been the case this season, as the two-time NBA Finals MVP is averaging 29.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game.
If the Suns can get anything close to that level of production come playoff time, they may be the team to beat out West.
