Tracking Kevin Durant’s performance in his Nets debut on Opening Night

The Slim Reaper is back on an NBA court. After a very long layover following a ruptured Achilles, former NBA MVP Kevin Durant is back in action. He is set to make his Brooklyn Nets debut against his former team, the Golden State Warriors, on Opening Night of the 2020-21 regular season at 7:00 p.m. ET on TNT. Durant signed with the Nets last offseason but sat out to let his Achilles heal fully. He could have returned during the NBA bubble, but the Nets remained cautious. We’ll be tracking Durant’s performance throughout his debut, looking at his stats and fantasy basketball performance.

Kevin Durant Nets debut live updates

First-quarter update — KD is back like he never left. The Slim Reaper has 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting to go along with 2 boards and an assist. His handle and shot are silky smooth and the Nets’ offense looks as potent as we all imagined it would be with two of the NBA’s most exciting offensive players. Now, let’s just enjoy this first-quarter KD dunk.

Halftime update — Durant cooled off in the second quarter. He only made one field goal and is 5-of-11 from the field. He has 12 points, 3 rebounds, and an assist at the break. He might not get much more playing time if the Nets continue to dominate. Brooklyn commands a 63-45 lead.

Third-quarter update — Durant will probably spend the final frame on the bench given the Nets’ 99-71 lead. He scored 10 points in the third quarter. Durant has tallied 22 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals in 25 minutes.

Final update — Durant didn’t touch the court in the fourth and Brooklyn took home a 125-99 victory. His plus/minus (+26) was second to only Kyrie Irving's +32 and it’s safe to say that we can expect big things from Durant and the rest of the Nets this season.