Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) goes to the basket against Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas (24) and forward Royce O’Neale (00) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in New York. The Suns won 136-120. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
NEW YORK (AP) — Kevin Durant was cheered before the game, then booed when it started.
His return to Brooklyn was on track be a noisy one, until he and the Phoenix Suns took the crowd out of the game with some relentless offense.
“I love to shut the crowd up. Even though I love these people here, I love to shut them up,” Durant said after scoring 33 points to lead the Suns to a 136-120 victory Wednesday night.
Durant added eight assists in his first game in Brooklyn since being traded to Phoenix nearly a year ago. He got a mixed reception early before leaving Nets fans little to cheer with 11 points in the third quarter when the Suns outscored the Nets 42-26 after leading by three at halftime.
“He put the team first, went out and competed, played team-first basketball, had eight assists and several other plays where made the extra pass and allowed his teammates to play through his double-teams and played a team-first type of game and ended up with 33 and eight,” Suns coach Frank Vogel said. “Hell of a performance.”
Durant’s return earned the game a national TV slot but it wasn’t much of a contest in the second half. The Suns, with Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal, are trying to build a title contender, while the Nets — who not long ago had their own Big 3 with Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden — are 19-28 and outside playoff position.
Jusuf Nurkic added 28 points and 11 rebounds for the Suns, overwhelming an undersized Nets team as the Suns won for the ninth time in 11 games. They improved to 3-2 on a trip that has stops remaining in Atlanta and Washington, Beal’s former home.
“It’s tough. With a team like that you know they’re going to shoot well,…
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