'Home team' Rockets blast Mavericks in China Games opener

It was Durant, though, drawing the loudest cheers from the Macao crowd on a night when his superstar counterpart on the Mavericks roster, Kyrie Irving, sat out, having just returned from a long injury layoff of his own.

The energy inside the sold-out arena was off the charts as Macao warmly welcomed the NBA's return to its biggest international market for a second straight year.

"I felt amazing, it felt incredible," Durant, a two-time NBA champion and 16-time All-Star, said of the impressive turnout at the Venetian Arena, after scoring 15 points in 23 minutes on court.

"Sometimes, back at home, we play so many games in front of the same people and they take us for granted a little bit. So, when you come out here and get to feel that appreciation and respect, the kind you earn as players who've made it this far, it's pretty cool."

It's been the fourth time that the Rockets team has traveled to China on a preseason trip, following previous visits in 2004, 2010 and 2016, cementing its status among the most-supported NBA franchises in China, thanks largely to the influence of its 2002 top draft pick Yao.

Yao, who went on to become an eight-time All-Star with Houston and a global sports icon, watched the game courtside among a group of A-list celebrities, including movie star Jackie Chan, former England footballer David Beckham and retired NBA guard Jeremy Lin.