It took one game for Kevin Durant to show who won Rockets' blockbuster trade

The Houston Rockets' dominant, 117-98 victory over the Phoenix Suns represented not only another massive offensive performance for the Rockets as a team but also, almost as importantly, a continuation of the scorching hot streak that Kevin Durant has been on since he returned from his brief absence.

On the night, Durant had 28 points, four rebounds and eight assists, while shooting 64.7% from the field and knocking down both of his attempts from beyond the arc, flashing yet again his ability to completely take over a game when the situation calls for it.

It is important to note that Phoenix was without both Devin Booker and Jalen Green, and, thus, this game was not truly a test of which roster will be better when it is all said and done. Instead, it was yet another example of how perfect Durant is for the Rockets, and, as a result of this fact, it will slowly become clear that Houston won the trade that brought him to town.

Kevin Durant shows yet again why he is exactly the player the Rockets need

This was one of those games where, despite the lopsided score, the box score is never quite capable of telling the whole story.

Both teams got out to relatively rough shooting starts, and the Rockets' turnover troubles forced them into a situation where they were down yet again by a healthy margin at the end of the first quarter.

Yet, in the second quarter, it seemed as though Durant flipped a switch. After subbing in around the nine-minute mark, he rapidly put up 17 points, flipping the game in the Rockets' favor in rapid fashion. Moreover, he had his flashiest passing game of the season, stacking up a second-straight eight assist performance and facilitating a significant portion of Houston's halfcourt offense in the process.

Most importantly, this came in a game in which Alperen Sengun was absent due to illness.

With how well the Suns have played this season, there was a very real possibility that this game got away from the Rockets in the first half, especially given that Sengun's absence allowed Phoenix's defense to dial in more heavily on Durant.

Nevertheless, Durant was undeniable through much of the night, and that, precisely, is what the Rockets acquired him for. They needed a player who could get to his shots no matter what opposing defenses threw at him, and Durant, almost certainly, is one of most gifted in NBA history in that regard.

It remains to be seen how Phoenix, who has assembled an intriguing cast of young players and veterans as they attempt to reset from the disaster that was the Booker and Durant era, will fare this season. However, that is beside the point.

The Rockets, by pure virtue of having Durant on their roster, have already won the trade (at least in the short-term).