Buddy Hield catches fire as Warriors roll past Jazz – The Mercury News

SALT LAKE CITY – The rims at the Delta Center are the required size, just like in all 30 NBA arenas.

But for Buddy Hield, every rim looks huge right now.

Hield, who led the Warriors in their season-opening win over Portland, couldn’t miss a beat against the Jazz. After two games, he appears to be the best version of a Klay Thompson replacement that anyone within the organization could have dreamed of.

“He brings so much energy to the floor,” head coach Steve Kerr said of Hield. “Part of it is the way he plays, the way he looks for those threes and sprints around the floor. He runs so hard, in both directions. Sets the tone for us.”

Hield finished the game with a game-high 27 points on 10-for-14 shooting (including seven three-pointers) in just 20 minutes off the bench. The guard also added six assists, four rebounds and one steal. As a Warrior, he scored 49 points in 35 minutes while shooting 12 of 13 from behind the arc, giving him two blowout victories to start the season.

Behind Hield’s outburst, the Warriors (2-0) overwhelmed Utah 127-86 through relentless defense and rebounding. Andrew Wiggins scored a career-high 13 goals and the Warriors limited the Jazz’s shooting percentage to 32%. Golden State forced live turnovers, caused multiple draws, applied full-court pressure at times, and gave the Jazz aimless possessions.

“I think the overall athleticism of this team stands out to me,” Kerr said. “We didn’t have that last year. Pressure on the ball. Added to this are De’Anthony and of course a healthy Gary. But Wiggs and JK are both tall and athletic. Kyle is an incredible defender…we have great defenders throughout the team.”

The Warriors’ two-game winning margin is the largest in NBA history. Their bench has scored a total of 150 points, including 80 on Friday, which is also a first for a team in its first two contests.

The Warriors stuck with their starting lineup of Steph Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis and expected to give that unit some wiggle room early in the season. It struggled in its first game against Portland and stumbled again.

Against the Blazers, the Warriors’ starters fell behind 12-3. They quickly lost to Utah 13-6 before Steve Kerr substituted Gary Payton II for Jackson-Davis. The spacing concerns of this particular unit have proven true once again.

But the Warriors’ bench, expected to be their strength, closed the gap for the second straight game. They have now scored 150 bench points in two contests, including 80 on Friday night.

Payton helped spark a 14-2 run with two steals and a forced jump ball. Buddy Hield drilled two 3-pointers, Curry added another and Golden State turned defense into quick attacks.

When all 12 Warriors touched the court in the first quarter, Golden State extended its run to 21-5 to end the period and take a 32-24 lead. An increased defensive and rebounding effort limited Utah to two made field goals in over five minutes.

“We knew Markkanen was going to be crucial for us,” center Trayce Jackson-Davis said after the game. “I think (Green) really set the tone with his physicality. We just followed and tried to stay in the gaps. Caught up on a few guys and got them out of rhythm – like (Jordan) Clarkson.”

Then Hield took over, scoring or assisting on the Warriors’ final seven shots of the half.

Hield dropped 16 points in the second quarter alone and scored 24 points in his first 14 minutes. He leaked on fast breaks, created spacing on the floor and was money from anywhere on the court. At halftime he was 9 of 11 from the field and 6 of 7 from deep.