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Boone on rainy night: 'Probably the worst conditions we’ve ever experienced'

NEW YORK — Yankees manager Aaron Boone, after speaking with bench coach Brad Ausmus, didn’t mince words about what they had just seen New York and the San Francisco Giants endure.

“That’s probably the worst conditions we’ve ever experienced and we’ve been doing this for a long time,” Boone said.

On a cold night when play started after a 26-minute delay, umpires suspended the game with the bases loaded in the top of the sixth inning, then called it after the minimum 30-minute wait. San Francisco had burst to a 5-0, first-inning lead and went on to a 9-1 victory.

It was 44 degrees at game time and windy, and the rain was steady throughout.

Boone had discussed the conditions with umpire crew chief Lance Barksdale and grew concerned as rookie Yoendrys Gómez had trouble gripping the ball in the sixth, when he walked four batters. Gómez’s fastball averaged 90.1 mph, down 3 mph from his season average.

“Lance, obviously, has been around a long time, myself, I was like: It’s pretty rough right here,” Boone said. “My concern was when the velo really dropped off and then it starts turning into a completely different game and that’s what I want to avoid.”

Boone said player safety was on his mind throughout the game. Yankees catcher Austin Wells said pitcher control was impacted by the conditions, causing some up and in pitches.

“That’s not fun. Definitely not something you want to see,” Wells said.

Gómez didn’t blame the conditions for his rough inning but admitted he had some difficulty.

“If it’s raining a lot there comes a point where it’s probably not the best to play the game,” he said through a translator.

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US star McKennie among 13 players being investigated for illegal gambling

  • Juventus and USA midfielder named in probe, per reports
  • Investigation focuses on poker and non-soccer betting

United States midfielder Weston McKennie is among 13 soccer players being investigated for illegal online betting in Italy, according to widespread media reports.

A new investigation by Milan prosecutors stems from evidence given by Sandro Tonali and Nicolò Fagioli in 2023. Both then served lengthy bans, ruling them out for most of last season, after agreeing plea bargains that also included therapy for a gambling addiction.

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ICYMI in Mets Land: New York hangs on for win in Sacramento; Jeff McNeil begins rehab

Here's what happened in Mets Land on Friday, in case you missed it...

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De Bruyne leads Manchester City to comeback thrashing of Crystal Palace

A goal and an assist and a captain’s display that wrenched the contest from Crystal Palace: here was an opportunity to revel in the sublime talent of Kevin De Bruyne.

On a sun-dappled east Manchester afternoon, De Bruyne illustrated, again, his peerlessness. The truism that the best have a crucial extra moment to work with runs through his decade in a Manchester City shirt and was displayed in the strike crafted for Mateo Kovacic.

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Manchester City 5-2 Crystal Palace: Premier League – as it happened

Kevin De Bruyne was imperious as his side survived an early scare to come from two goals down, win easily and move back into the Champions League qualification places

Ahead of this game, the Crystal Palace manager could not lavish enough praise on Manchester City striker Omar Marmoush, who he previously worked with at Wolfsburg. “He has the skills and what I loved was he was two and a half years in Germany and he spoken German perfectly and this is quite unusual,” he said of the Egyptian.

“He is a great guy, has all the skills and in the football career you may not have to make a straight direction to come to the top but he had a loan at St Pauli, Stuttgart, then performing for Wolfsburg, then an outstanding season for Frankfurt. Immediately he shows Manchester [City] what kind of striker he is. I’m really pleased for him but not tomorrow.”

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Snakebit Bohm on slump and outside noise: ‘Guess the game's trying to teach me a lesson'

Snakebit Bohm on slump and outside noise: ‘Guess the game's trying to teach me a lesson' originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

ST. LOUIS — Alec Bohm came to the plate against Andre Pallante in the top of the seventh inning Friday night looking to do anything to spark the Phillies’ offense and break himself out of a two-week funk.

He hit a ball hard, over 102 mph toward the middle of the diamond. Cardinals shortstop Thomas Saggese was positioned well and ranged to his left to field it and throw to first.

So ended another hitless night for Bohm, who is 4-for-43 since the third game of the season despite a batted-ball profile that says he should be hitting .272 rather than .151.

Bohm has hit 14 balls this season at over 100 mph. The league average on batted balls at that exit velocity is approximately .600. Bohm is batting .286 on them, 4-for-14. And that’s after starting the season 3-for-4. The last 10 times Bohm has hit a ball harder than 100 mph, he has one hit.

He’s frustrated and he wants it to turn, but he’s also more experienced now and not beating himself up over things outside his control.

“I barreled up everything I swung at last night too,” he said. “It’s really hard. Obviously it’s nothing to do with the swing and everywhere I turn, it’s look at your expected numbers, look at this, keep your head up, it’s gonna be OK. But I just keep hitting balls hard and they keep going right at people. There’s really nothing I can do about it.

“I know eventually everything sort of evens out and I know that I’ve hit well over .400 for an entire month in this league at times. As far as me being worried about anything, no, but I’d like it to end. I certainly would like it to turn in my favor a little bit. I watched back-to-back broken-bat hits last night.

“Results are not happening right now. At some point this year, they’re gonna happen and I’ve got to think for some extended period of time I’m gonna get some luck too. I think when we look up at the end of the year, I’m gonna be right around .280, right around 100 RBIs, right around everywhere I’m supposed to be.

“I guess the game’s trying to teach me a lesson, maybe.”

Bohm was dropped from fourth to seventh in the Phillies’ batting order Friday night. He was moved a spot lower on Saturday to eighth when J.T. Realmuto returned to the lineup after a night off. It doesn’t mean Bohm will hit at the bottom of the order for the rest of the season, but right now manager Rob Thomson is looking for a way to strip some pressure off him while also better protecting Bryce Harper.

But it’s not as if Bohm has even been having particularly poor at-bats these last few nights. In the second inning of Thursday’s extra-inning loss to the Braves, he had his second-hardest-hit ball of the year, 105.3 mph off the bat against Spencer Schwellenbach. It was directly at second baseman Ozzie Albies for another lineout.

“Yeah, against Schwellenbach. It was like all right, I guess we’re doing this,” Bohm said. “If I’m gonna try to change anything or do anything different, it’s not being wise at this point. Really the only at-bats that aren’t good are the ones that I’m swinging out of the zone, and I’m not doing that a ton. Get the pitch that I should swing at and I’ve put that ball in play, for the most part hitting that ball hard.

“If there’s an obvious answer like I’m doing this, I’m continuing to swing at the high pitch, something glaring and obvious that I’m getting exposed on it, but that’s not the case. So there’s really nothing to spin your wheels about. Just see how many at-bats it takes to get lucky, I guess.”

Not every fan or observer of a baseball team knows the advanced metrics and for some, a slump is a slump whether or not the player is dealing with bad luck. For Bohm, the criticism is often even louder because of all that he’s been through as a Phillie. The “I hate this place game,” which for him ended up being a launchpad rather than rock bottom. The strong first half last season, when he looked like he might lead the National League in doubles and RBIs. The September and October skid after his hand strain, which resulted in him being benched in Game 2 of the NLDS.

Bohm has gotten better at blocking out the noise as he’s grown up, but he still acknowledges that his every action seems to be under the microscope.

“Definitely. I feel like everything is very, very overanalyzed that I do on the baseball field from the moment I step on it to the moment I step off it,” he said. “But again, that’s out of of my control.

“The longer you play in the big leagues and the more experience you get and the more comfortable you get with who you are and that you belong here, the less anything really affects you. Other peoples’ opinions and whatnot, the more you’ve been here, the more you know you’re gonna be here, the more confident you are in what you’ve done here, the more that stuff kinda fades away. People are gonna say what they’re gonna say, people are gonna think what they’re gonna think and that’s their thoughts, their opinions. We just kinda stay in this dugout and play the game.”

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‘Hopefully, We’ll Get There; We’ll See’: Maple Leafs’ Jani Hakanpaa Making Progress, But Return For Playoffs Still Uncertain

Nov 16, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jani Hakanpaa (28) pursues the play against the Edmonton Oilers in the second period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

As the Toronto Maple Leafs inch closer to the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, there’s cautious optimism surrounding the status of the return of defenseman Jani Hakanpaa — but no guarantees.

The 6-foot-7 blueliner, who hasn’t played an NHL game since November 16 against the Edmonton Oilers, continues to skate with the team and move forward in his recovery from a lingering knee injury. On Friday, Hakanpaa took reps with the third defensive pair at practice, replacing the absent Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Jake McCabe.

“Pretty good spot right now, been making some good improvements. Getting back out there with the guys has been good,” said Hakanpaa after practice. “Slowly working our way towards playing again here.”

Hakanpaa was filling the void at Friday’s practice, but the Leafs are forced to go with five defensemen on Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens. The Leafs do not have any salary cap room ($195,333) to call up an additional player with Jake McCabe (undisclosed) injured and forward David Kampf still out with an upper-body injury – as well as the new undisclosed injury to Ekman-Larsson.

The 33-year-old underwent minor knee surgery earlier this season in hopes of returning for the second half. He was officially placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) on December 2, and despite steady progress over the past month – skating before or with the Leafs at practice – he remains ineligible to return.

Why The Maple Leafs Will Dress 5 Defensemen Against The Canadiens On SaturdayWhy The Maple Leafs Will Dress 5 Defensemen Against The Canadiens On SaturdayThe Toronto Maple Leafs will likely dress one player short when they host the Montreal Canadiens at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday.

Asked if he could suit up come playoff time, Hakanpaa remained hopeful but noncommittal.

“That’s a tough one to kind of say anything really,” Hakanpaa explained. “It’s been trending really good in the gym and on the ice, off the ice, everything. Hopefully, we'll get there; we’ll see.”

Head coach Craig Berube offered little clarity when asked about the status of both Hakanpaa and forward Max Pacioretty, who is also recovering from an injury, for the postseason.

“That I don’t know. I don’t have that answer for you. They’re still working away through things, so that’s all I know on that,” said Berube.

Back on April 1, Berube was slightly more optimistic about the outlook, noting that both players were actively working toward being healthy.

“It’s good that they’re out there,” Berube said at the time. “They’ve been working with our development crew and people back here skating and trying to get healthy. Hopefully, they can get healthy and be part of the team at some point.”

‘It’s Good That They’re Out There’: Max Pacioretty, Jani Hakanpaa, Return To Maple Leafs Practice Amid Long-Term Injury Absence ‘It’s Good That They’re Out There’: Max Pacioretty, Jani Hakanpaa, Return To Maple Leafs Practice Amid Long-Term Injury Absence The Toronto Maple Leafs returned to practice at Ford Performance Centre on Tuesday following their three-game California road trip, preparing for a divisional matchup against the Florida Panthers on Wednesday.

Hakanpaa has had an up-and-down year, only suiting up for two games with the Maple Leafs this season and logging two conditioning stints with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies — going pointless in all four outings. He was initially named to Team Finland’s roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off but was forced to withdraw due to his recovery progress.

“It’s been up and down, highs and lows. It has the good parts to it, too,” said Hakanpaa of the season. “You just have to enjoy the little victories every day. Something feels really good; you can improve on something and really take a lot of joy in that.”

“Obviously, it’s been trying, but just trying to keep that positive mindset and cheer the boys on as much as I can when they’ve been here,” he added.

'I Don't Have A Timeline': Jani Hakanpaa Will Not Play For Finland At 4 Nations Sparking More Questions About His NHL Future'I Don't Have A Timeline': Jani Hakanpaa Will Not Play For Finland At 4 Nations Sparking More Questions About His NHL FutureHakanpaa hasn't played since Nov. 16 and had a second knee procedure in early December.

As for how he’s feeling now, the Finnish defender says it’s a mix of good days and ongoing issues still preventing him from returning to full speed.

“It’s a little bit of both,” Hakanpaa admitted. There are a few things still there that I’d like to be a little better feeling on the ice, and other than that, just stringing good days together. Adding a little more load every day, adding a little more here and there, and then trying to string those good days, and make them good weeks into good months.”

Whether Hakanpaa gets a shot at playoff action remains to be seen. For now, he remains on the outside looking in, but seems to be trending in the right direction. However, a clear timeline has yet to come to the surface.

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Draymond admits he ‘hated' LeBron before building close relationship

Draymond admits he ‘hated' LeBron before building close relationship originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Even as longtime NBA rivals, Draymond Green and LeBron James have become the best of friends over the years — but it wasn’t always that way.

Not even close.

The Warriors forward made a recent appearance on the “Brownie and Rab Show,” where he spoke about how his relationship with the Los Angeles Lakers superstar blossomed into what it is today.

“Hell no. I hated Bron,” Green said of his early relationship with James. “We didn’t have no relationship at all. I had a relationship with [Maverick Carter] and Rich [Paul], I was really tight with [them]. 2017 All-Star [Weekend] was in New Orleans. Bron had a plane going to Anguilla. Mav, Rich, everyone was going. I hadn’t decided where I was going after that All-Star Game, so earlier that day I asked Mav, ‘Mav, where you going after the All-Star Game?’ He’s like we’re going to Anguilla. I’m like can I go? He’s like yeah you can go. I’m like you sure? He’s like yeah let me make sure there’s space on the plane.

“I don’t know if there was no space on the plane or not but I think Bron probably said I ain’t flying on that plane. He gets an entirely different plane so I can fly with them. We had two houses on Four Seasons right next to each other. I also don’t think there was two houses there before. You know why I think Mav got a whole other house? Because I think Bron said that [expletive] ain’t staying in my house.”

Separate planes. Separate houses.

Not for long, though.

Green and James saw a lot of each other on the court, too, during those thrilling Warriors vs. Cavaliers NBA Finals matchups during James’ time with Cleveland.

Those rivalries weren’t friendly, but years later, all is forgiven.

“Bron used to be like, ‘Man, why you guys dealing with this dude?’ So just me being around Rich and Mav, me and Bron naturally ended up being around each other more. And then we started to build a relationship because I realized dang, bro is really just like me. He uses the same lingo I use. He’s from a place just like me. And we started to build from there. But it started off hectic.”

Things could return to that hectic feeling if James’ Lakers meet up with Green’s Warriors in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, which would be the case if Golden State defeats the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.

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Columbus Blue Jackets (81 pts) vs. Washington Capitals (109 pts) Game Preview

Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

The Columbus Blue Jackets and the Washington Capitals play the first of back-to-back games this weekend, today at 12:30 PM.

The Blue Jackets survived another day after the Montréal Canadiens were beaten by the Ottawa Senators on Friday night. 

Today, the CBJ and Caps will play the first game of a home-and-home back-to-back, and the Jackets need to win the games. The Canadiens play the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night, so if the Jackets can get past the Caps, and the Leafs can beat the Habs, the CBJ will survive until Sunday. 

Just win, baby! 

Blue Jackets Stats

  • Power Play - 19.7% - 22nd in NHL
  • Penalty Kill - 76.1% - 25th in NHL
  • Goals For - 247 - 11th - 3.17 GPG - 11th
  • Goals Against - 265 - 26th - 3.40 GPG - 27th

Capitals Stats

  • Power Play – 23.7% - 12th in NHL
  • Penalty Kill – 81.6% - 6th in NHL
  • Goals For - 280 – 1st – 3.59 GPG – 1st
  • Goals Against – 212 – 8th – 2.72 GPG – 9th

Series History vs. The Capitals

  • Columbus is 10-12-6 at home and 19-26-11 in 56 all-time meetings vs. the Capitals.
  • The Jackets are 8-9-4 in the last 21 games at Capital One Arena. 

Who To Watch For The Capitals

  • Dylan Strome leads the team with 51 assists and 77 points.
  • Alex Ovechkin leads the Caps with 42 goals. 
  • Charlie Lindgren is 19-13-3 with a SV% of .893. 

CBJ Player Notes vs. Capitals

  • Boone Jenner has 12 points in 33 career games against Washington.  
  • Zach Werenski has 9 points in 23 games.  
  • Sean Monahan has 15 points in 22 games against the Capitals. 

Injuries

  • Kevin Labanc (shoulder) is on Injured Reserve as of Feb. 21 and is out for the season (21 Games) 
  • Elvis Merzlikins (upper body) has missed 1 game. 

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 312

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on ABC, ESPN+. Sean McDonough will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on  93.3 The Bus, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.

Let us know what you think below.

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Celtics converting JD Davison to two-year NBA contract, per agent

Celtics converting JD Davison to two-year NBA contract, per agent originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The G League MVP is getting his NBA call-up.

The Boston Celtics are converting the JD Davison’s two-way contract to a standard, two-year NBA contract, Davison’s agent told ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Davison, Drew Peterson and Miles Norris all were on two-way contracts with Boston, which had an open roster spot ahead of Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Charlotte Hornets. Converting Davison to an NBA contract fills the Celtics’ final roster spot and allows the 22-year-old guard to join Boston for its 2025 playoff run.

The Celtics made a similar move with Neemias Queta near the end of last season, converting the big man’s two-way contract to a two-year deal. Queta has appeared in 61 games this season, and Davison will have a similar opportunity to make an impact off the bench for the C’s during the 2025-26 campaign.

Davison averaged 25.1 points, 7.6 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game with the Maine Celtics during a dominant season that earned him G League MVP honors. He also participated in the Rising Stars game at NBA All-Star Weekend, helping the G League squad advance to the finals of the mini-tournament.

Davison has appeared in 15 games for Boston’s NBA club this season, averaging 5.1 minutes per contest. He’s seen action in two straight games for the C’s, however, scoring a combined two points on 1 of 7 shooting in 18 total minutes.

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Three Takeaways From A Missed Opportunity

The Senators were the better team tonight - Photo credit:  Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

After a couple of days off, the Montreal Canadiens were taking on the Ottawa Senators on Friday night. They had an opportunity to officially punch their ticket for the Spring dance and sweep their Ontarian rivals. Unfortunately for Martin St-Louis, it became apparent that neither would happen early on.

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Learning To Win Is One Thing, But Learning To Be Ready Is Just As Important

The Canadiens had six wins in a row before Friday night’s game, but there’s one part of their game that they can never seem to get right: being ready for puck drop. St-Louis won’t complain that his team has developed a knack for third-period comebacks, but he must be fuming about those late starts as evidenced by his use of the word "unacceptable" when asked about yet another late start.

So far this season, the Canadiens have scored 64 goals in the first period and given up 82. They've given up 81 in the second and 83 in the third, so the issue is not how many they give up but how many they score. They put up 78 in the second and 84 in the third. Whatever the problem is, it must be addressed, and the sooner, the better. Since their previous game in Ottawa in February, the Canadiens have been outscored 17-7 in the first frame and only once they managed to keep their opponent from scoring in the first 20 minutes. 

The fact that they were unable to pull off the third-period comeback against the Sens is not a bad thing. It is much better to get this stern warning in the regular season than in the playoffs, which they will likely make, even though they could not seal the deal in this game. The coach often tells us that a considerable part of his job is selling his game plan to the players; this 5-2 loss will be a good selling point.

The Captain Since The Break

Since the 4 Nations Face-Off break, Nick Suzuki has scored 35 points in 23 matches, four game-winning goals, at least two points in 11 of the 23 games, and has contributed to 47% of the Canadiens’ goals.

In Friday’s game, he scored his 29th goal of the season, leaving him one short of hitting 30 for a second season in a row. His career high is 33, which he hit last year. While he did end the game with a minus-three rating, and his line was dominated by Shane Pinto's unit, it's hard to criticize Suzuki, given how he has carried this team on his back for the last couple of months.

The fact that he went to his GM to plead the team’s case as the trade deadline was approaching shows great leadership. He will have earned even more respect from his teammates by not only doing this but also rising to the challenge given by Kent Hughes.

Time For A Change?

With this loss, perhaps it’s time for St-Louis to reintegrate Arber Xhekaj into the lineup. Sometimes, a big hit can bring a team to its senses. We’ll never know if it could have made a difference tonight, but we know that the gritty defenseman is eager to return.

Jayden Struble was the blueliner with the least ice time in the game and was guilty of two giveaways. If St-Louis does decide to make a change, he’ll be the most likely candidate for a night off. David Savard could probably use the rest, but his role on the penalty kill is crucial, and until the playoff spot is official, I wouldn’t be surprised if the coach felt he had to keep him.

While Michael Pezzetta has some limitations as a hockey player, he has none in the heart and dedication department. For a second time this week, he dropped the gloves to wake his team up. He struggled at the start of the fight but came out on top, doing what he could to pump up his teammates.

If Emil Heineman is ready for Saturday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, he should be inserted into the lineup. He applies excellent forecheck and can also contribute offensively.

The Habs will need to turn the page quickly and, as the coach often says himself, focus on what’s next.

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Warriors' Buddy Hield Experience a historic ride unlike any other

Warriors' Buddy Hield Experience a historic ride unlike any other originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The ballad of Buddy Hield has produced smiles, laughs, celebrations and moments of pure confusion throughout his first year in a Warriors jersey, leading to more history made by the 3-point specialist on the second-to-last game of the 2024-25 NBA regular season Friday night in Golden State’s blowout road win against the Portland Trail Blazers. 

There have been stretches of perfect jazz in unison, and instances of wind strings snapping in your eardrums. 

Earlier this week, Hield went viral for a funny exchange with coach Steve Kerr during the Warriors’ dominant win in Phoenix where Kerr jokingly introduced him to Steph Curry, “the greatest shooter in the world,” who was “wide open” but clearly not in Hield’s view. 

He’s one of Kerr’s favorite players. Ask him about Hield and you’ll get a joyous laugh. You’ll also get some instances of him likely wanting to break a clipboard, and not because of stretches where his shot went ice-cold. 

The next day when the Warriors returned home to play the San Antonio Spurs, Hield further explained the clip to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Kerith Burke after his pregame shooting routine. 

“You know, the NBA didn’t play the whole video,” Hield said. “I was like, I got a strap on me too, Steve. I can shoot, too. But I think Steph was wide-open late and I didn’t see him wide-open late, so you got to pass Steph the ball. It was a funny interaction with us.”

That strap was unleashed Friday night at Moda Center while the rest of the Warriors mostly brought blanks to the arena. The Warriors missed their first five 3-point attempts before Moses Moody broke the streak with six-and-a-half minutes remaining in the first quarter. Hield didn’t connect on his first two tries, but the third time was the charm and unlocked his historically consistent rangefinder from long distance. 

Hield came into the day with 197 threes on the season, eyeing that 200 mark with only two games left in the regular season. After watching one three go through the net in the first quarter, two others followed in the final minute and a half – first to give the Warriors a one-point lead and then to extend it to four points the next possession. 

His third 3-pointer of the first quarter gave Hield 200 threes on the season, making him only the fifth player in NBA history to have seven seasons with at least 200 3-pointers, joining Curry, Klay Thompson, James Harden and Damian Lillard. That’s two NBA MVPs and four future Hall of Famers Hield now finds himself associated within the realms of shooting royalty. 

Additionally, Hield now has done so in seven straight seasons, starting back in 2018-19 when he was then on the Sacramento Kings. 

Joining Bob Fitzgerald and Kelenna Azubuike at halftime, Hield thanked Fitz five straight times for celebrating the achievement and went into detail about his quick release. The historic 200th three was the Warriors’ offense to a tee. Hield curled off a Kevon Looney screen, caught Jimmy Butler’s pass at the top of the arc and immediately was in his shooting motion. 

“Just finding your spots and finding your rhythm,” Hield said. “When you see an opening, just get it off quick. My teammates find me in the right spots.”

Hield hasn’t been shy in saying if it weren’t for Curry, he probably wouldn’t have been picked sixth overall in the 2016 NBA Draft. As Hield was lighting it up behind the 3-point line at Oklahoma, Curry was changing the way basketball will forever be seen and played. Hield made 240 threes with a 41.3 3-point percentage in his final two years of college, the same seasons in which Curry won back-to-back MVPs. 

“I modeled my game behind the 3-point line, just trying to be as consistent as I can,” Hield said to Tim Roye on Warriors Radio after the win. “Being around Steph and watching Klay, he’s a Bahamian brother of mine, to be one of the top gunners in the league is special. Hopefully, I can do it for a few more years.”

The Warriors’ offense had little rhythm and flow, despite what the final score displayed Friday night. They shot 31.8 percent from three on a night where 44 of their 83 shot attempts were 3-pointers. Hield only made one of his next seven 3-point attempts after draining his first three. But his 16 points led the Warriors’ bench, and Hield’s four threes were a game-high for both sides. 

When the Warriors looked like the league’s best again to begin the season, Hield had the hot hand, averaging 16.2 points with a 44.2 3-point percentage in Golden State’s 12-3 start. From the first game in December through the first game in February – a 30-game stretch – Hield only averaged 9.1 points and was 59 of 192 on threes, a lowly 30.7 percent. The Warriors went 13-17 in those games.

They’re now 18-6 when he makes at least four threes. They 14-2 in the 16 games Hield has scored 18 or more points, and 20-18 in the games he has failed to score 10 or more points. He’s Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates, a mystery on most nights. He can ignite the Warriors’ wick on offense or blow out the flame from cold shooting or confounding decisions. 

Whether the Warriors win or lose, Hield’s voice will be heard in the locker room. It’s impossible to miss. He and Butler constantly trade barbs with one another and there’s bound to be laughs following Hield, one way or the other. 

“Buddy’s been incredible,” Draymond Green said to Fitzgerald and Azubuike after the win. “Obviously, we all know what he does on the court. But even off the court is bigger. The energy that he brings on a daily basis. He’s always upbeat. Brings a good vibe. Brings a good vibe to the gym, good vibe to the plane, good vibe to the hotel. Wherever we’re at, he’s always bringing a good vibe to it. Just an incredible teammate. Actually one of my favorite teammates.”

Draymond then looked off-camera to his left, catching Hield doing who knows what. 

“Look at him,” Green continued, laughing. “One of my favorite teammates I’ve ever had, and yet, he will get on your last nerve every day.”

The Buddy Hield Experience has been a ride unlike any other this season. His energy is always invited, and the Warriors have shown they believe his historic 3-point shot can help drive them down the right road. 

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