The Atlanta Hawks spoiled Cleveland Cavaliers' preseason debut, while the Oklahoma City Thunder welcomed their superstar back with a victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Hawks leaned on a strong performance in the second quarter to escape with a 98-96 win against the Cavaliers on Wednesday at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Jeff Teague was already in regular-season mode as he finished with 17 points, 15 coming in the first quarter, while Al Horford also had a strong performance as he racked up 15 points and eight rebounds.

Kent Bazemore had 12 points and five rebounds, and also did a great job defending LeBron James, while Walter Tavares ended up with 11 points and four rebounds for the Hawks, who outscored the Cavaliers by nine points in the second period to take momentum heading into the break.

The Cavaliers had a strong performance in the third quarter, while new signing Austin Daye waxed hot in the final period with 12 points on four three-pointers, but it was not enough as the Hawks escape with a two-point win.

It should be noted, though, that the Cavaliers played without injured superstars Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, while power forward Tristan Thompson missed the game as he has yet to sign a new deal with the Cavaliers.

Meanwhile, Kevin Durant made a triumphant return as he led the Thunder to a masterful 122-99 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

Durant missed the majority of last season due to a recurring foot injury, which required a season-ending surgery, but the former Most Valuable Player showed no sign of pain in their win against the Timberwolves. The superstar forward racked up 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting on top of our assists and two rebounds in 22 minutes.

"I felt great," Durant said after the game via ESPN. "I think it was a little different. I haven't been in my routine in a while as far as going to shootaround, taking my nap, getting to the game. So all that stuff was different. But once I got on the court, I felt right at home."

Russell Westbrook also had a solid night with 14 points and 13 assists to go along with eight rebounds in just 22 minutes, while Serge Ibaka racked up 18 points and six rebounds for the Thunder.

Below are the results of Thursday's preseason games:

  • Utah Jazz 117 - 114 Los Angeles Lakers (OT)
  • Atlanta Hawks 98 - 96 Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Orlando Magic 100 - 97 Miami Heat
  • New York Knicks 100 - 81 Bauru
  • Oklahoma City Thunder 122 - 99 Minnesota Timberwolves
  • Dallas Mavericks 82 - 109 Houston Rockets
  • Sacramento Kings 98 - 102 Phoenix Suns