Kevin Durant makes his 1st trip back to Brooklyn to take on Mikal Bridges and the Nets.
In the season finale of NBA Wednesdays on ABC, Kevin Durant and the Suns visit the Nets in Brooklyn for the first time since last season’s trade.
When the Suns arrive in Brooklyn on Wednesday to face the Nets (8:30 ET, ABC), it will not only be stop No. 5 on Phoenix’s season-long seven-game road trip, it will conjure memories of last year’s trade-deadline deal that shook up both teams.
On Feb. 9, 2023, the Suns, Nets, Bucks and Pacers executed a blockbuster trade that included sending Durant from Brooklyn to Phoenix and Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and four first-round picks from Phoenix to Brooklyn.
Durant’s reception: Wednesday will be Durant’s first game in Brooklyn in 395 days. He last played in Brooklyn on Jan. 2, 2023 against the San Antonio Spurs before suffering a knee injury on the Nets’ ensuing road trip that kept him sidelined until March, weeks after the trade had been completed.
In addition to the game on the court, all eyes (and ears) will be on the reception that the Brooklyn crowd shows Durant for his two-plus seasons with the Nets. Durant has already said he doesn’t expect or feel he’s earned a tribute video.
“I don’t feel like I deserve one,” Durant told The Arizona Republic. “I didn’t feel like I stayed there long enough. I didn’t put in enough work. I didn’t leave a lasting impact.”
16 games together: There is a bit of irony that Phoenix’s Big 3 of Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal enter Wednesday’s game having played 16 games together, the same number that Brooklyn’s Big 3 of Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden played together before those stars made separate exits.
Durant, Booker and Beal played just four games together over Phoenix’s first 35 games. But since Jan. 7, they have all played the last 12 games together, and the continuity of the lineup has translated to success. The Suns enter Wednesday’s game having won eight of their last 10 games and are No. 6 in the West.
Spoiler alert: The first regular-season game that Durant, Booker and Beal played together on Dec. 13 in Phoenix came against Brooklyn, with the Nets spoiling the trio’s debut with a 116-112 win. Bridges and Johnson combined for 36 points while receiving a warm welcome from the Phoenix fans.
“It feels great,” Johnson said about his return. “This building welcomed me with open arms a long time ago and welcomed me with open arms tonight. It’s pretty cool when you can return to a place where the people still support you and care about you.”
Simmons back: The Nets are fresh off posting a season-high 147 points in a 33-point win over the Jazz on Monday. In that game, Ben Simmons returned after a back injury had sidelined him for 38 games. In his first game action since Nov. 6, Simmons came two rebounds shy of a triple-double (10 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds) in just 18 minutes off the bench.
After a promising 12-9 start to the season, the Nets have gone just 7-18 since and are just outside the Play-In Tournament field. The Nets are looking for their first three-game win streak since early December.
Trade deadline approaching: This game, coupled with Damian Lillard’s return to Portland tonight (10 ET, ESPN), serves as a reminder that the trade deadline is just over a week away — 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, Feb. 8.
