Buddy Hield went off after getting called out by Reggie Miller
Oct 18, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Buddy Hield (7) dribbles the ball before the start of the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Golden State Warriors wing Buddy Hield had a huge second half Tuesday against the New Orleans Pelicans, and he apparently had TNT’s Reggie Miller to thank for some of it.
After going just 1-for-8 in the first half, Hield went off for 25 points in the second half, with 19 of them coming in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s 124-106 win. Hield made all six of the three-point tries in the second half as part of his scoring surge.
During the second half of TNT’s coverage, play-by-play broadcaster Kevin Harlan suggested Miller had something to do with it. Harlan got Miller to confess that Miller “had a conversation” with Hield at halftime, though he refused to offer any details about what that chat entailed.
Reggie had a convo with Buddy at halftime lolpic.twitter.com/wZed8KzVJk
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) October 30, 2024
Hield, however, was willing to spill after the game, and it turned out the message was quite simple.
“He told me to shoot the blanking ball,” Hield told TNT after the game. “Sometimes you need somebody like that to come to you, and I responded well.”
— Oh Yes He Did (@OhYesHeDid24) October 30, 2024
Hield has provided the exact sort of contributions the Warriors had hoped they would get from him. While Tuesday’s game was his best to the season, it was the third time in four games he provided at least 20 points, and he is shooting a torrid 55.6 percent from three-point range. That may be unsustainable, but as long as he can provide regular scoring, Golden State will be thrilled.