Kevin Durant slams home two of his game-high 33 points during his victorious return to the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush Wednesday. AP Photo by Mary Altaffer
They cheered, they booed and then they watched helplessly as the player that was supposed to help the Nets win their first-ever championship put on a show with his new team.
Kevin Durant got a mixed reaction from the 17,732 fans gathered at Downtown’s Barclays Center Wednesday night during his much-anticipated return to Brooklyn.
But his talent and acumen for rising to the occasion remained unquestionable.
Durant scored a game-high 33 points, 11 of which came during a decisive third quarter, handed out eight assists, grabbed five rebounds and blocked a pair of shots to spearhead the Phoenix Suns to a 136-120 victory over the Nets.
“It’s cool. It’s good to be back here in front of these fans,” said Durant. “I love these rims. I love playing in front of this crowd. Brooklyn is one of my favorite boroughs and we got the win.”
Dealt to the Suns (28-20) nearly a year ago, Durant admitted prior to this homecoming that he wasn’t sure what to expect from the Brooklyn faithful, many of whom were banking on him and Kyrie Irving to deliver our borough’s first major pro sports title since the 1955 Dodgers.
After arriving here with great fanfare in the summer of 2019, the superstar tandem was gone three-plus seasons later after producing one playoff series win.
Durant spent the summer before his departure pleading for a change in the front office and head coaching position while making trade demands.
Irving, who will be here for his Barclays return next Tuesday, never received a long-term contract extension and was traded to Dallas days before Durant was moved to Phoenix.
Nets fans greeted their would-be messiah with a warm reception following a video tribute during player introductions.
“Of course. I had some great moments here,” said Durant, who posted earlier in the week that he wasn’t…
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