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Sports

Durant makes home debut vs. Bucks

By Sports Network
Published | Updated

(SportsNetwork.com) - The Oklahoma City Thunder faithful will get their first look at Kevin Durant this season on Tuesday night when the team hosts the Milwaukee Bucks at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Durant returned after foot surgery one week ago in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. The reigning MVP has led the Thunder to wins in their last two games.

OKC toppled the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, then edged the Detroit Pistons, 96-94, on Sunday at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

Durant and the Thunder overcame a halftime deficit to hand the Pistons their 12th consecutive loss.

Scott Brooks' team might still be a little rusty with its two stars back in the lineup, but Durant had 28 points and the Thunder did enough to beat the Pistons.

Durant made 10 of his 19 shots in his best shooting performance so far, and Russell Westbrook scored 22 with 11 rebounds and seven assists in his fourth game back after missing 14 with a broken hand.

Serge Ibaka added 13 points and 13 rebounds in Oklahoma City's fourth win in its last five.

"We did a good job of not only contesting shots but we contested their path," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said of the effort. "Defensively in that second half is what we need to do the entire game."

The Bucks have dropped four of their last five and fell to .500 on the season. On Sunday, they got ambushed by the Dallas Mavericks, 125-102, and Tuesday will be the finale of this short road trip.

All five Bucks starters scored in double figures, but Milwaukee turned the ball over 19 times.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way with 18 points while Zaza Pachulia contributed 14 with eight rebounds off the bench. Brandon Knight finished with 16, followed by 15 from Jabari Parker, 12 from O.J. Mayo and 10 out of Larry Sanders.

"Turnovers, second shots, we didn't play hard," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. "This is the first time we didn't play hard."

The Bucks allowed the Mavs to shoot 58.3 percent from the field.

Milwaukee returns home Saturday against the Los Angeles Clippers, but then heads west for four straight.

The Bucks beat the Thunder by eight in Milwaukee on Nov. 11, but the Thunder have taken four of the six previous encounters. The Bucks are 3-2 in five trips to Oklahoma City.