What we learned as Hield’s historic start fuels Warriors win vs. Jazz originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Warriors are taking the NBA by storm.
Well, at least the teams toiling in Portland and Utah.
Golden State reeled off its second road blowout in a row Friday night with a 127-86 silencing of the Jazz at Delta Center in downtown Salt Lake City.
The Warriors in their two season-opening victories have outscored their opponents 267-190. Their 77-point margin is the largest in NBA history through any team’s first two games.
Buddy Hield led the team in scoring for the second consecutive game, finishing with 27 points. Stephen Curry totaled 20, Brandin Podziemski 15 and Trayce Jackson-Davis added 12. Andrew Wiggins scored only eight points but snagged a game- and career-high 13 rebounds.
Here are three takeaways from a game that after the first quarter was never in doubt:
Buddy Bombs
Hield has been a Warrior for eight games, including six in the preseason. He’s shooting an incredible 31-of-55 (53.4 percent) from beyond the arc. Incredible. And there is no sign of him cooling off.
Coming off the bench for the second consecutive game, Hield immediately lit up the Jazz, pouring in 24 points in 14 first-half minutes on 9-of-11 shooting, including 6-of-7 from deep.
Hield’s 27 points came on, 10-14 shooting from the field, including 7-of-9 from distance. Through two games, he has 49 points in 35 minutes and is shooting 18-of-26 overall and 12-of-16 beyond the arc.
Unsustainable, Right?
After the win on opening night in Portland, Hield said he has not felt so free within an offense since leaving the University of Oklahoma eight years ago. He shot 45.7 percent from deep as a senior.
Such accuracy is unlikely in today’s NBA, but anything close to that will have Golden State’s front office dancing in the streets.
Bench once again starts fire
For the second consecutive game, Golden State’s starting lineup fell behind early, trailing by eight within the first three minutes. It took a few more minutes to find anything remotely resembling rhythm.
It also took a nudge from the bench bunch, which came in hot, playing fast, making shots and even some trapping on defense.
Gary Payton II, Kevon Looney and Podziemski and Hield were the primary players that closed the first quarter with a 21-5 run over the final five minutes. That was enough to change the temperature in the building.
Two nights after the Warriors’ bench bunch outscored that of the Trail Blazers in Portland 71-37, they managed an 80-49 advantage over Jazz reserves. In addition to Hield and Podziemski reaching double-digit scoring off the bench was Moses Moody with 12.
Coach Steve Kerr’s concept of playing his entire active roster was again a rousing success. Just as 14 players participated on opening night, 14 were utilized on this night.
A Trayce Of Perfection
Trayce Jackson-Davis, who started 16 games as a rookie last season, has started the first two this season and, well, things are going exceedingly well for the Warriors.
Even better for Jackson-Davis, though.
After scoring 14 points and shooting 5-of-5 from the field in the opener, he came back on this night with 12 points on 6-of-6 shooting. His 11 consecutive shots – mostly off lobs and within three feet of the rim – are providing a much-needed interior scoring presence.
Though Golden State’s starting lineup snoozed early in each of the first two games, and continue to experience spacing issues, Jackson-Davis is doing precisely what he has been asked to do.
Protect the rim, set solid screens and be efficient in the paint. Perfection is the epitome of efficiency.
