Kevin Durant posts 23 points in Suns debut against Hornets

Kevin Durant finally made his Phoenix Suns debut Wednesday night, nearly three weeks after a four-way trade sent the 13-time All-Star from the East Coast out to the desert.

In the Phoenix's 105-91 victory over the Charlotte Hornets, Durant finished second on the team in scoring with 23 points, nailing 10-of-15 from the field (2-of-4 from three) while adding six rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. 

Following his first contest as a Sun, Durant told reporters he missed being out on the floor while rehabbing his knee injury. 

"Just talking with the guys, the camaraderie, all that stuff," Durant said via the Suns' Twitter account. "I'm glad I got to get back on the floor today and try to build toward something." 

Durant also offered an encouraging word to Suns fans about what he hopes to accomplish in Phoenix. 

"I got good intentions, and I want to do well out there," Durant said. "I'm just trying to get comfortable." 

Not only was this Durant's first game with the Suns, but it was also his first action in four weeks. The superstar offensive force missed all of February with a knee injury and had been held out of action since early January. Durant logged only 27 minutes on Wednesday night and head coach Monty Williams understandably has told reporters that Durant will be on time restriction for the foreseeable future. 

"It's too early to say where we're going to be because of the restrictions," Williams said via Nekias Duncan of basketballnews.com. "Kevin is going to be on restriction for a while, not a long while, but the next week or so at least."

Wednesday was a positive first step for Durant and the Suns, one they hope leads to an NBA Championship. At 34-29, the Suns can still improve their standing ahead of the playoffs. The team trails the Sacramento Kings (36-29) by three games for the top spot in the Pacific Division and third place in the Western Conference.