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Kevin Durant made his return for the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night, facing the Utah Jazz after missing six games with a strained hamstring.
It was like he never left.
One of the best players in the NBA, Durant personally schooled the Jazz, scoring 27 points, grabbing six rebounds, coming up with four steals and blocking a shot. He did this in three quarters, not playing the fourth in OKC's 111-89 victory at Vivint Smart Home Arena.
"It felt good being out there tonight," Durant said. "I was a little winded at first, I forgot the altitude at Utah. But after the first couple of minutes, I felt good."
Durant's 27 points were pretty much a normal output for him — he's one of the most dominant scorers in the NBA. But how he got the 27 had to be embarrassing for the Jazz. The 7-foot small forward barely broke a sweat in getting his offense. He went 10 for 13 from the field and didn't miss inside the 3-point line. He made all four of his free throws. Many of his shots were uncontested, and Utah's defense never for a second made him feel uncomfortable.
His points looked easy because they were easy. It helps that Durant came back in game shape. He's been shooting on his own for the past 10 days, doing intense rehabilitation and going through his normal pregame routine before the past few games. Once he knew he was nearing a return, he ramped up his workouts. Before Monday night's game, Durant said he didn't want to return, if he wasn't truly at 100 percent.
Scoring 27 points in 30 minutes is a pretty good indicator that Durant was feeling good about himself and his game.
"I think our medical team does a great job," Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan said. "Nobody is going to put Kevin out there when he's not ready to go. He's worked hard to get himself back and I give him a lot of credit for that. He really gets himself prepared to play every game."
With Durant in the lineup, Russell Westbrook didn't have to shoulder as big a scoring load. The result was an efficient 20 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. He also was held out of a fourth quarter that was essentially 12 minutes of garbage time.
Those two on Monday night dominated the Jazz, even toyed with them at times. The Thunder locker room following was one filled with laughter and jokes, with Durant and Westbrook at the head of the pack.
Durant dominates
R Kevin Durant returns after missing six games and scores a game-high 27 points.
• The Thunder win on back-to-back nights, defeating the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.
• Durant goes 10 of 13 from the field.