Kevin Durant’s long-awaited home debut has finally arrived: Phoenix enjoyed the Suns No. 35 in his arena for the first time, author of 16 points in a night that was not very simple in terms of scoring – 5/18 shooting, 2/4 from the arc, eight rebounds and four assists in 29 minutes – that KD himself commented with clear words: “When you come back from the injury you have to deal with this shit”, aware that these two weeks will serve as a springboard for the postseason. However, Phoenix has yet to conquer the playoffs and the world and the performance for the Arizona team change radically when Durant is on the floor or stays out to watch due to various injuries.
The on/off data – despite the reduced match sample – are impressive for Phoenix and explain well what it means to have a superstar capable of literally winning a match by himself: beyond the 4-0 record which is the direct consequence for the Suns of his presence on the court, what impresses is the offensive rating of a team that when it can count on KD manages to score almost 13 more points on 100 possessions. An enormity that does also skyrocket real % achievement by about 10% (thinking of shooting with more than 64% of the real percentage is in some ways unreal), thus managing to score a merciless Net Rating towards the opponents. “It wasn’t easy to fall asleep and not think about the game,” explained an excited Durant upon returning. started with 0/6 shooting before finding the bottom of the retina for the first time 5 minutes from the long interval. “The whole town has been waiting for him – it’s a special night for us and for the history of this franchise,” adds Devin Booker. “We are all happy to have shown him the love he deserves: this is just the beginning”.
