It was just one game, but Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant looked like himself again.

Himself meaning: arguably the best basketball player in the world, as he was before he ruptured his Achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals.

A year and a half later, in his long-awaited debut with the Nets, Durant dropped 22 points in an easy win over his former team, the Golden State Warriors.

Durant didn't exactly light it up in his 25 minutes of action (7-for-16 from the field, 1-2 from downtown, 7-7 from the line), but his game had its signature fluidity and he showed burst attacking the rim.

Perhaps more importantly, he displayed impressive chemistry with his Nets teammates, including Kyrie Irving (26 points, 10-for-16 FG), as Brooklyn cruised to a 125-99 win at an empty Barclays Center.

Durant's performance was certainly encouraging, but his head coach, Steve Nash — who earned his first NBA coaching victory on Tuesday — is tempering expectations. After all, the rookie coach is concerned about navigating through a long, complex season and competing in June, not blowout wins in December.

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“All I’m saying is, there’s a big difference from taking 18 months off from the NBA to coming back,” Nash said after the game, via Yahoo's Vincent Goodwill. “He looks like Kevin, plays like Kevin, but I don’t want to raise expectations.”

Nash added that the Nets star is focused on the long-term and easing his game back in to place over the course of the season.

“He has an eye for the long game,” the Hall of Famer said. “A lot of steps to be taken, still. He’s grateful for the process. He’s just enjoying his health and ability to play the game. He’s not getting carried away with the chatter. He’s just finding his game again.”

For now, the basketball world can rejoice in the return of KD.