Warriors' Record-Breaking 3-Point Barrage: How Buddy Hield's Scorching Second Half Fueled Their Win

The Warriors are on the brink of making NBA history.

With 21 made 3-pointers in the 124-106 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday at Chase Center, Golden State now is second in league history with 64 games of 20 or more triples made as a franchise.

The Warriors recorded their 64th game with 20+ threes, which is one behind Houston for the most by any franchise.🔗 https://t.co/bG9oZgpvzi pic.twitter.com/GA20mG272v

— Basketball Reference (@bball_ref) October 30, 2024

Buddy Hield (7), Moses Moody (5), Lindy Waters (3), Brandin Podziemski (3), Draymond Green (1), Jonathan Kuminga (1) and Gary Payton II (1) all knocked down 3-pointers in Tuesday's game.

The Warriors as a team were 21 of 46 (46 percent) on shots beyond the arc on Tuesday night and are shooting 40.1 percent overall as a team through four games this season.

The Warriors have accomplished this feat in three of their four games this season after doing so only eight times last year.

It shouldn't be long before they tie and eventually pass the Houston Rockets for the most 20-plus 3-point games in NBA history.

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There are only a handful of NBA shooters who have earned the unquestioned green light to let it fly from basically anywhere on the court at any time. Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry is perhaps the most famous example, but his new teammate Buddy Hield is afforded the same level of freedom by head coach Steve Kerr. Even so, confidence can waver for the most dangerous of sharpshooters, and that may have been on display in Golden State's 124-106 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.

With Curry, Andrew Wiggins and De'Anthony Melton out of the lineup, Hield was tasked with picking up much of the offensive slack as he earned his first start of the season against the team that drafted him. Things went abysmally wrong in the first half, however, with Hield scoring just three points on 1-for-8 shooting, including 1 of 5 from 3-point range, as the Warriors mustered just 47 points at the break.

As these things often go with long-range marksmen, though, Hield was a different player in the second half when he poured in 25 points -- 19 in the fourth quarter alone -- on 8-for-10 shooting, including 6-for-6 from beyond the arc. Even more impressive, he did it all in fewer than 12 minutes.

19 points in the fourth28 points on the nightBuddy Hield 📽️ pic.twitter.com/bX2Un6r6et

Turns out, Hield's scorching second half can be chalked up to a little more than a streaky shooter getting hot. While he was percolating in the fourth quarter, Hield kept shouting in the direction of Hall of Famer and Indiana Pacers legend Reggie Miller, who was calling the game for TNT at Chase Center. On the broadcast, Miller explained that he had provided some words of advice for Hield at halftime, but refused to divulge the specifics.

Reggie had a convo with Buddy at halftime lolpic.twitter.com/wZed8KzVJk

Luckily for us, Hield has never been one to hold his tongue, and he revealed a censored version of Miller's message that helped lead to the second-half explosion: "He told me to shoot the blanking ball. Sometimes you need someone like that to come to you, and I responded well."

pic.twitter.com/ozRcAgZO7Z

Tuesday's 28-point outburst continued a torrid start for Hield in a Warriors uniform. He joined Curry as the only players in Warriors history to make at least 20 3-pointers in their first four games with the franchise, and is now averaging a team-best 21.3 points per game on absurd 56% 3-point shooting.

Hield and Golden State seemed like a match made in heaven when he joined the squad via the six-team trade that sent Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks this offseason, but it was hard to predict that things would go this well this soon. You better believe that Hield will have Miller on speed dial for the rest of the season just in case he needs another round of mid-game motivation.

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Images by Getty Images and Imagn While several Warriors players who lit up the stat sheet will get the credit for Tuesday's 124-106 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, a halftime speech from Draymond Green might have been the actual catalyst for their comeback at Chase Center.

Trailing 51-47 once the second-quarter buzzer had sounded, Green's message to Golden State was clear: Apply pressure, and good things will happen.

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"The first half, we came out kind of sluggish," Warriors guard Gary Payton II told NBC Sports Bay Area's Zena Keita after the game. "The second half, Draymond challenged us to come out and hit them first. We could see in that second quarter what happens when we attack and be aggressive -- things start to shift our way. ...

"[Draymond] knows this team very well, and once we put pressure on them and make them make quick decisions, bad things happen and good things tend to happen for us."

Draymond challenged the Warriors to come out stronger in the second half, GP2 tells @itszenakeita pic.twitter.com/5RpGLJr131

The Warriors struggled in the first quarter, and the Pelicans took an early 31-14 lead entering the second. With Steph Curry, Andrew Wiggins and De'Anthony Melton all sidelined Tuesday with injuries, it seemed like the game might be a lost cause.

But the Warriors outscored the Pelicans 110-75 over the final three quarters, and after Green's message held a 22-point advantage over New Orleans in the second half thanks largely in part to Buddy Hield's 25 points in the third and fourth quarters on 8-of-10 shooting with six 3-pointers.

Brandin Podziemski (19 points) and Lindy Waters III (21 points) were Golden State's other top scorers. Green, meanwhile, finished with three points, seven assists and three rebounds as a plus-15 -- with one very important locker-room address.

"It all starts with Draymond," forward Jonathan Kuminga told Keita. "Draymond came into the locker room and told all of us 'They're looking good right now but once we put pressure, they're all going to fade.' And that's the same thing that happened. You saw it. We all came out here with one mindset, just putting pressure on defense.

"He said, 'As long as we put pressure on defense, the offense will be easy.' So that's what we came out here and [did]."

Green's veteran leadership was on display in the Warriors' third win of the 2024-25 NBA season, only reinforcing how important the four-time champion is to Golden State's success.

And as Green and Co. seek a return to the NBA playoffs, moments like his speech tonight certainly could help them achieve that goal.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast SAN FRANCISCO (WVUE) - No Steph Curry was no problem Tuesday (Oct. 29) for the Golden State Warriors, who routed the Pelicans, 124-106, in the first of their two back-to-back games.

Despite playing without their scoring leader, the Warriors outscored New Orleans 77-55 in the second half to pull away. Curry also is expected to miss Wednesday’s series finale with an ankle injury.

The Pelicans outrebounded the Warriors (44-35) and outshot them from the field, 53.3 percent to 47.4 percent. But New Orleans’ downfall was committing 23 turnovers to Golden State’s seven, creating too many scoring opportunities for the host team.

Zion Williamson scored 31 points and Brandon Ingram 30 to lead the Pelicans (2-2).

The Warriors were paced by Buddy Hield’s 28 points, and 21 from Lindy Waters III.

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Updated: November 4, 2024 @ 3:54 am

Golden State Warriors guard Buddy Hield (7) shoots a three-point basket at the first half buzzer during an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans in San Francisco, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.

New Orleans Pelicans guard Javonte Green (4) celebrates with guard Jordan Hawkins (24) during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green reacts after making a three-point basket against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.

Golden State Warriors assistant coach Terry Stotts, left, stands next to injured guard Stephen Curry, middle, and guard Gary Payton II (0) during a timeout in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans in San Francisco, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.

Golden State Warriors forward Kyle Anderson (1) shoots against New Orleans Pelicans forward Jamal Cain during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.

Golden State Warriors forward Trayce Jackson-Davis dunks against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.

New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green gestures toward players during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) reaches for the ball next to Golden State Warriors guard Moses Moody (4) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) shoots against Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.

Golden State Warriors forward Kyle Anderson (1) shoots against New Orleans Pelicans forward Jamal Cain during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.

Golden State Warriors forward Trayce Jackson-Davis dunks against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.

New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green gestures toward players during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Buddy Hield scored 21 points, Trayce Jackson-Davis had 15 points and nine rebounds, and the Golden State Warriors beat the New Orleans Pelicans for the second straight night, 104-89 on Wednesday.

Golden State, committed to a 12-man rotation, again received contributions from throughout its deep roster as Stephen Curry missed his second straight game with a left ankle injury. He is scheduled to be re-evaluated Friday. Andrew Wiggins also sat out consecutive nights because of low back tightness.

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A receipt was sent to your email. The benefits of a deep roster were on vivid display Tuesday night, and not only because the Warriors rolled to victory with Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins watching from the bench.

Their 124-106 win over the New Orleans Pelicans was a small surprise considering they were slight underdogs, opened with three players making their first starts of the season and a 14-point first quarter that ended with Golden State trailing by 17.

Given the makeup of this team, what occurred over the next 36 minutes could become the norm. The Warriors’ 110-75 rout over the final three quarters was a direct result of being the more committed squad.

“They were just the more aggressive team, and we didn’t respond when they picked up their physicality,” Pelicans star Zion Williamson told reporters at Chase Center.

The Warriors are exhibiting an elite hustle game this season and there it was again. They chased loose balls with zest. They harassed the Pelicans to such a degree that they committed 24 turnovers, off which Golden State scored 34 points.

“Can you win can when you're not shooting well? How do you do that?” coach Steve Kerr asked in his postgame news conference. “You defend, you rebound, you keep your poise. And everybody who comes off the bench continues to bring energy. That's what I liked most about this game tonight. We saw all those things happen and that allowed us to turn it around.”

Each man taking the floor did so with fire in his gut and conviction in his heart. When Kerr announced last week that he intends to play his entire roster, it was apparent that all ears were engaged.

Everyone – particularly those who opened the season coming off the bench – inferred that the distribution of minutes would be determined in real-time and based mostly on merit.

“When Steve finds a group that is playing really well, he’s going to ride that wave,” Buddy Hield told reporters. “As he should, because it gives everybody energy from the bench, and it trickles down as a second-hand effect.”

This game was an illustration of a team on which most of the players are chasing respect and knowing the surest path to getting it is by showing how much winning means to you. Every man on the roster wants to prove he is a legitimate NBA player and, furthermore, that he has the goods to make an impact.

Put simply, each man wants to be so effective in his minutes that Kerr will have a difficult time subbing him out. And the grit was visible on offense and defense.

Hield, normally the team’s Sixth Man, started in place of Andrew Wiggins at shooting guard, got no traction and at the half had only three points, on 1-of-8 shooting, including 1-of-5 from deep. He came off the bench in the second half and lit up the Pelicans for 25 points, on 8-of-10 shooting, making all six of his 3-point attempts.

Lindy Waters, the team’s 13th man, inherited the Sixth Man role and prospered in his first opportunity to play meaningful minutes. He finished with 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including 3-of-7 from beyond the arc.

Waters played 31 minutes and looked ready for more.

“It was very contagious, exciting, exhilarating,” Waters said. “We started getting stops, started playing more physical on the defensive end. We started rebounding and running, you know we started flowing on offense. Guys started having fun, shots going in, so very contagious.”

The brotherhood vibes of training camp are carrying over to the regular season. Everybody wants action, but everybody is willing to share on the journey. Once that atrocious first quarter passed, the Warriors reconvened and came out on a mission. They managed two assists in the first quarter, and 32 over the final three.

The kind of doggedness needed for the Warriors to regain the respect lost after missing the playoffs last season was on full display. Curry and Wiggins were enjoying the runaway in comfortable clothes. Kerr allowed himself the wide smile of a proud coach.

“I’m just happy to have this kind of depth for nights like tonight, when we’re missing three guys,” Kerr said. “And it’ll pay off big time for us over the course of 82.”

Once threatened, the Warriors fought back with a vengeance. There was no flinching, not the slightest sign of retreat or even concern. With a few words of encouragement from Draymond Green, they came together, got dirty and had the belief this was the way.

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