Why Hield vs. Reaves biggest matchup to watch in Warriors-Lakers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
As Buddy Hield goes, so go the Warriors. When he scores at least 18 points, as he did 10 times through the first 49 games of the season, the Warriors are unbeaten.
Well, now, they were unbeaten.
The streak ended Wednesday night at Utah. Hield scored exactly 18 points, on 7-of-14 shooting from the field, including 4-of-8 from deep. His last triple gave the Warriors a 120-110 lead with 3:30 remaining – before the Jazz outscored them 21-8 down the stretch.
The question now is whether Hield got his mojo back. Whether he can outscore and outplay Austin Reaves when the Warriors (25-25) and Lakers (29-19) meet Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Yes, a game featuring two certified superstars – Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Los Angeles’ LeBron James – could be decided by the winner of the matchup of secondary-scoring shooting guards Hield and Reaves.
Hield ingratiated himself with Dub Nation by blazing through the first 15 games, averaging 16.2 points per game and shooting 44.2 percent from distance. He was the bench bomber the Warriors have sought for years, crucial to their 12-3 start.
Then came the next 35 games, during which Hield averaged 9.7 points while shooting 38.0 percent overall and 33.0 percent beyond the arc. The Warriors were 13-22.
The Warriors hope a revival is underway. Hield over the last three games shot 13-of-25 (52 percent) from the field, including 7-of-15 (46.7 percent) from deep.
If Hield can outperform Reaves, the outcome could slide toward Golden State. With LA trading Anthony Davis over the weekend, Reaves was elevated to LA’s No. 2 scorer. He’s averaging 18.4 points per game, shooting 45.1 percent from the field, including 37.2 from distance.
The Lakers are 2-0 against the Warriors this season largely because Reaves singlehandedly finished off Golden State in their Christmas Day meeting at Chase Center.
Six seconds after a Curry 3-pointer tied the game at 113-113, Reaves drove around Andrew Wiggins toward the baseline, where help defender Jonathan Kuminga inexcusably turned his back to the play, opening a path for Reaves to stroll in for a game-winning layup.
Kuminga had been subbed into the game for defensive reasons on LA’s final possession. Whom did he replace on the floor? Buddy.
Hield has a new magic number: 20. The Warriors are 7-0 when he scores at least that many. It hasn’t happened since Dec. 8, when a 27-point outburst helped vanquish the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Warriors would welcome another such game Thursday night.
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