The Golden State Warriors began a back-to-back series against the New Orleans Pelicans without Stephen Curry alluding to his ankle injury. For Kerr, the next in line was Andrew Wiggins. The Canadian forward couldn’t feature either. Yet, the Bay found a way through unity and coordination to thwart the Pelicans with their incessant three-point makes and suffocating defense.

“This is the point. To be able to withstand injuries and absences,” Kerr said before the game. The Bay at one point fell down by 20 points against their rivals. However, resilience paved the way for an incredible fightback. Not only did the Warriors trouble the Pelicans’ offense, but Hield had to fight his own battles.

Luckily, he had some help with him. After only a 9-point first half, Hield got some consultation from Reggie Miller, a celebrated shooter himself. He offered him a simple, yet quintessential piece of advice. “He told me to shoot the blanking ball,” said the sharpshooter trying to avoid the profanities the Pacers legend didn’t want to share with the media.

For a shooter, that’s the kind of confidence boost they need. After being sidelined in the second half in favor of Lindy Waters II—who contributed an impressive 21 points off the bench—Buddy Hield felt a renewed drive to keep shooting. When he reentered, the Bahamian guard couldn’t miss, firing off shot after shot with remarkable precision.

It turned the Dub Nation upside down.

Buddy Hield hyped not just Stephen Curry, but the Warriors fans too

Following the talk from Miller, Buddy Hield’s mind opened up to the possibility of a cataclysmic shift. A streaky night became one of his most memorable early moments with the Warriors. Stephen Curry forgot all about his ankle pain as he jumped uncontrollably as Hield couldn’t miss. “When Steph Curry is cheering you on you KNOW you’re doing good haha,” a fan rightfully noticed.

The guard stepping in for Klay Thompson’s absence delivered a standout performance, scoring a team-high 28 points. Nineteen of those points came during a furious fourth-quarter surge that propelled the Warriors past the Pelicans. Hield’s seven three-pointers were instrumental in stifling any momentum New Orleans tried to build, solidifying his impact during the game.

That’s how great of a start it’s been for the former Kings shooter. Barring his slump against the Clippers, Buddy Hield has become a vital part of Kerr’s offense. Tonight, in the absence of any of their heavyweights, he turned the tables around. “He’s been everything this team needed and more,” a fan professed.

However, tonight was more about the Warriors simply shooting their way to the win. It did play an integral role though. The Bay shot 46 threes, hitting a healthy 45.7% to drown the Pelicans. On the other hand, the visiting side only put up 22 three-pointers, failing to gain any surge from their attempts.

It was a collective effort, as Steve Kerr planned from his comments from before the season began. But it’s hard to get past the contributions of Buddy Hield in achieving such consistency. Dub Nation is still finding it hard to compute how the 31-year-old has found his second wind. “how is he doing this every night???” a follower wondered.

In just four games, Hield has topped 20 points three times, proving to be a crucial asset alongside Curry. He’s quickly established himself as the Warriors’ most prolific shooter, boasting an impressive 52% from beyond the arc. On top of that, he’s taken the second-most three-point attempts on the team, right behind Curry, solidifying his role as a key contributor in their offense.

Putting that aside, as much as scoring helped, the Warriors’ defense may taken greater precedence. Tonight, they forced the Pelicans into taking tough shots and making errors which they capitalized on with their pace. A fan feels “We need to keep playing at a fast pace. No other can run with us, all game long because they can’t keep up with us when we run all game,”.

The Warriors forced the Pels into 23 turnovers as opposed to their seven. Through their pressuring defense, the Warriors earned 34 points off turnovers, 29 more than the Pelicans. As far as the test of depth goes, Steve Kerr has a great reason to remain confident. Even with three of their major contributors on the bench, the Bay eased to an 18-point win.

Do you think they can repeat this tomorrow? Let us know your views in the comments below.