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Durant era begins as SuperSonics open season against Nuggets

Oct 31, 2007 - 1:38 PM Seattle (0-0) at Denver (0-0) 10:30 pm EDT

DENVER (Ticker) -- Kevin Durant and the Seattle SuperSonics will begin their highly anticipated 2007-08 season on Wednesday when they face the Denver Nuggets.

Durant, the No. 2 overall pick in June's draft, averaged 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds per game last season, becoming the first freshman in history to win the 2007 Naismith Award while attending the University of Texas.

Durant led the Sonics in scoring during the preseason, averaging 18.8 points a game. However, the 19-year-old forward injured his ankle during an overtime loss to the Golden State Warriors last Tuesday but is scheduled to play after participating fully at practice on Monday.

While the Sonics are looking to rebound from a dreadful 31-51 season, the Nuggets will begin the new campaign in hopes of returning to the playoffs for a fourth straight season.

The Nuggets qualified for the postseason after finishing with a 45-37 record last season but didn't last long in the playoffs, as they were ousted in the first round by eventual-champion San Antonio Spurs.

However, with Allen Iverson returning for his first full season in Denver after being acquired in a trade from Philadelphia during the 2006-07 season, the team is hoping to escape the opening round of the playoffs for the first time during coach George Karl's tenure.