After missing the last six games with a severe ankle sprain — a stretch where the Thunder went 3-3, hardly what you need in the competitive West — Kevin Durant came back with a vengeance against Phoenix last night, picking up where he left off when he dropped 30 points in under 20 minutes before his ankle sprain.
The Thunder needed MVP Durant more than they expected, with Russell Westbrook getting ejected in a bizarre minute right before the half.
But KD was smoking hot from the outset, going 7-of-9 from the field in the first half for 17 points.
He poured in an additional 23 points in the second half without Russ — including 4-of-6 from deep. KD added four free throws in the extra session when the Thunder took it from the run-and-gun Suns.
For the game, Durant had 44 on 6-of-11 shooting from beyond the arc and 12-for-12 from the charity stripe. He added 10 boards and seven assists and the Thunder needed every ounce of his brilliance to pull out the win over Phoenix.
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