Watch: Kevin Durant turns up the heat in NBA All-Star Game return, hits too small on Damian Lillard
Kevin Durant wasn't treating the NBA All-Star Game like an exhibition after chirping at Olympic Gold Medal-winning teammate Damian Lillard. After taking the Milwaukee Bucks star to the rack and scoring over him, Durant hit Lillard with the too-small celebration in the first half.
Here's the video:
Durant was going all out in his NBA All-Star Game return. He last played in the tournament in 2019 when he was with the Golden State Warriors. Durant has endured multiple injuries during the All-Star Weekend between 2020 and 2023.
By halftime, Durant has played the most minutes on the West team, tallying a team-high 16 minutes and scoring 12 points on 5 of 6 shooting. However, the West is trailing 104-89. The game has been slow, with very few possessions where the teams played any defense. The intensity could pick up in the second half, though.
Kevin Durant gets nutmegged by Trae Young, while Damian Lillard puts him in a blender at the 2024 NBA All-Star Game
While Kevin Durant had moments of brilliance during his NBA All-Star Game return, he had some lowlights, too. East guards Damian Lillard and Trae Young got the better of the 14x NBA All-Star, embarrassing the Suns forward in front of millions of viewers.
After hitting the "too-small" on Lillard, KD paid for it as the Bucks' All-Star put him in a blender with his silky smooth handles, which got him the separation to hit a tough contested 3-pointer from downtown. Here's the video of that play:
Then Trae Young nailed his turn to put the moves on Durant. The Hawks' guard outplayed Durant with a nutmeg on a layup attempt shortly. Here's the video:
Durant and the West are down as many as 27 points in the second half and seemingly unlikely to win this one. It would be the second consecutive loss for LeBron James as a captain if the Western Conference loses.
Nevertheless, it was a good sight to see Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Steph Curry play in the 2024 NBA All-Star Game on the same team. The three modern-day legends haven't teamed up together ever.
They could repeat this in the summer when if the trio remains healthy and available for the Olympics this summer.