About an hour before his NBA Playoffs debut, Kevin Durant was asked about how the postseason feels different than the regular season.

"It will be basketball," said Durant. "It will be intense, of course, because the crowd is into it.

"A lot of people say it's different, it might be, but it's still basketball."

Durant had a relaxed, but visibly excited demeanor during the lead-up to Game 1. He also seemed to have a full understanding of the potential magnitude of the moment.

Durant compared it to an NCAA Tournament game while at Texas, but added that it was "nowhere near this."