OKLAHOMA CITY – As homecomings go, Timberwolves guard Kevin Martin's return to Oklahoma City on Sunday didn't require a hankie or directions to the visitor's dressing room.
But it was a homecoming of sorts nonetheless for a guy who played third fiddle to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook for one season a year ago.
On Sunday, he scored 17 of his 24 points in the first half against his old teammates.
"It felt different playing in this building," Martin said. "It was fun going up against that level of competition and going against guys you went through the grind with last year. It was a good night just to get it out of the way."
Martin won 60 regular-season games with the Thunder last season after being traded to Oklahoma City in that big swap that sent James Harden to Houston.
"It was good, just seeing old faces around here," he said. "I treasure my time here last year. It was good. I met some incredible people off the court and the way the team accepted me. … All in all, it's a good feeling to be back. It was a very good year for me and my family."
Martin played a reserve role in Oklahoma City and agreed to a free-agent offer with the Wolves last summer because the Thunder was financially strapped under the luxury tax and the Wolves offered him a chance to start again.
"I coached him when I was an assistant at Sacramento, and he played well for us here," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "He had a different role. He understood that and excelled at it. He won 60 games with that role and was happy with it. When you're on a good team, you have to sacrifice. Everybody has to sacrifice and he was one of the guys who sacrificed."
