The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

IT is not often that you see a home crowd give a standing ovation to an opposing player, but that is exactly the reception Buddy Hield received when he returned to Oklahoma as a professional.

Hield recovered from his recent struggles and scored 16 points in 15 minutes of his New Orleans Pelicans’ 101-92 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on Sunday night. It was one of Hield’s most efficient performances of his rookie season thus far as he shot 50 per cent from the field (6-12), 57 per cent from the three-point line (4-7) and added four rebounds.

Hield returned to the friendly confines of a state where he starred at the University of Oklahoma for four years and won virtually every award imaginable, including the Naismith, Wooden and Oscar Robertson awards.

From the moment he checked in to the game, with 1:40 left to play in the second quarter, the crowd cheered as if they were there to see Hield and not their hometown Thunder.

“It was crazy. That’s why I shot that air ball so early I was like ‘man these people love me out here’ I have so much respect for the people of Oklahoma. This is home for me. Every time I come back they embrace me well and I had a lot of jitters,” he said, “Like I said I shot that air ball early but I had to make it up to them. It was a good confidence booster for me and I really appreciate the fans down here for sure.”

Hield brought his trademark heroics late in the game scoring 13 of his 16 in the fourth quarter as the Pelicans rallied.

His pair of threes brought New Orleans within four, 94-90, but the Thunder outscored them 7-2 to close the game out.

Hield, the No.6 overall pick in June’s draft, has recently seen a decline in his minutes including five games in the last 10 where he played less than 10 minutes.

He was also shooting just 24 percent from beyond the arch.

On how much he needed a performance like this to break out of his recent slump, Hield said: “Really bad. Just to go forward with my confidence to keep growing and seeing the ball go through the net like my regular self. I still have to turn the table and not to look back from here. The comfort level was good, [after that airball] I was thinking ‘man is this going to be like this the rest of the season’ but the people, the fans embraced me well, there’s just something about Oklahoma. Every time I come to Oklahoma I try to see as much as I can see, friends, coaches, the basketball team, they’re all family to me.”

It was his first time scoring in double figures since an 18 point outing in a 126-99 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, November 12.

“I’m still trying to get used to the flow. My teammates always try to give me the confidence to do what I do best, which is shoot the ball. It’s a roller coaster but I’m just happy I was able to make a few shots,” he said, “I feel like when your coach is giving you confidence and your teammates give you confidence to shoot the ball, I feel like it’s easier. Everything just started clicking for me and I just got in a rhythm.”

Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry called Hield’s performance on both ends of the floor a step in the right direction.

“He played well, he struggled early on but like we told him you have to believe and trust in your shot and he stayed with it. I think he rushed a couple but you comeback and you want to play well in front for the people that love you most and I thought he did a great job of calming himself down and making plays,” he said, “I thought he did a great job on the defensive end also. He tried really hard and its just another step in the maturation process for him. He’s a great kid, he’s going to do everything you ask him to do, he wants to be good and he will be one day. He’s got to continue to work to get better.”

Hield played nearly the entire fourth quarter except for a brief moment when Gentry brought him to the bench to settle him down.

“I just told him to relax. I think it happens a lot: He’s overthinking the game right now. Whereas, at Oklahoma, he caught and shot it or caught it and dribbled it to the basket. He’s got to get to the point of understanding that he can do that at this level, also,” he said, “But like I said, it’s a learning process. The more he’s out there, the more experience he gets, the better off he’s going to be. I thought he did a good job tonight. First shot I was a little ... [laughs]. But I think that’s a testament to the confidence that he has in himself that he can shoot the other ones.”

  The Pelicans played the second game in a back-to-back last night against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee.