Buddy Hield had a little magic in him during Monday night's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, as the Sacramento Kings sniper joined the late Kobe Bryant (Dec. 6, 2002 vs. Mavs) as the only players in the last 20 seasons to score 20 points in the fourth quarter while shooting 100% through the period in a game where his team overcame a 25-point deficit to win, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Bryant went a perfect 8-of-8 in the fourth quarter, including a made 3, while Hield buried all six of his field goals, with five of them coming from downtown:
Buddy Hield is a good example that it doesn't matter who starts (and why we shouldn't overanalyze or create a mini-controversy) but who finishes the game on the court.
4th Q last night: 10 minutes, 6/6 from the field (5/5 from 3)= 20 points
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) January 28, 2020
Hield was recently benched by head coach Luke Walton but responded in his role as sixth man, logging more minutes (38) than the backcourt duo of De'Aaron Fox and Bogdan Bogdanovic and taking more shots than any of his teammates.
He shot 14-of-24 from the floor and made 9-of-14 from deep along with a perfect 5-of-5 from the foul line for a game-high 42 points — clearly making a case to be inserted in the starting lineup once again.
The Kings sharpshooter has been hot and cold the entire season, notably struggling in December when he shot 41.2% from the floor and 34% from deep. Yet Hield has kept his “Mamba Mentality” on point, helping the Kings survive an overtime barnburner with a 133-129 win.
Walton noted Buddy Hield's benching is by no means permanent, but rather something that will let him get a feel for his offense moving forward.
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