"Got all the tools and pieces": Kevin Durant admits still following Nets, believes in their playoff ceiling

Kevin Durant might be with the Phoenix Suns, but that hasn't stopped him from following the Brooklyn Nets, his former franchise. The veteran forward notched up 33 points, five rebounds and eight assists against his old team as the Suns registered a comprehensive, 136-120 win at the Barclays Center on Wednesday. Durant made his return to the old arena for the first time since his blockbuster trade to Phoenix ahead of the trade deadline last season. He, along with Kyrie Irving and James Harden were expected to be the players who would deliver a championship for the Nets.

However, with Harden asking out and linking up with the Philadelphia 76ers, and Irving traded to the Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn sported a new-look unit by the end of the regular season. On Wednesday, they faced the formidable Suns who have been surging this season and went down despite efforts from Mikal Bridges and Cam Thomas. Durant though still believes that the Nets are far better than their 19-28 record:

"They got all the tools and the pieces to be a playoff-contending team and make some noise. They are way better than what their record shows. I'm always following and watching and seeing what they're doing," Durant said.

On the game front, Kevin Durant's game-high 33 points helped the Suns improve to 28-20. Devin Booker had 22 points and eight assists, while Jusuf Nurkic had a field day with 28 points and 11 rebounds.

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Nets honor Kevin Durant with tribute video for first game back at Barclays Center

Kevin Durant's maiden return to the Barclays Cente was met with deafening cheers, and despite saying that he didn't want a tribute video ahead of the game, the Nets didn't seem to listen as they came up with a tribute clip for their former superstar. The 30-second video showed his time with the organization and on his part, the the two-time NBA champion didn't appear to give a clear reaction to the video playing on the big screen.

Earlier, Durant commented on X, formerly Twitter, asking for Brooklyn not to make a tribute video: “Please don’t, the night will be better without it,” he posted.

Over the course of the game, Durant reached two milestones. The All-Star forward made league history by becoming the 90th player to reach 4,500 career assists. He also climbed up to become the 18th player on the NBA's all-time field goals made list.

This season has seen him on a tear averaging 28.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists. The Suns are one of the teams primed to win the championship, and should Kevin Durant continue his stellar form, Phoenix will be a team to watch out for.