It’s only a 40-minute game and New Orleans rookie Buddy Hield logged 27 of them, but the Pelicans first-round pick still managed to fire more shots in Friday’s Rising Stars Challenge than he has in any 2016-17 regular season game. That was one item on the to-do list for Hield, who went 11/22 from the field and racked up 28 points. Another was getting a victory, which the World team accomplished in a 150-141 shootout against the USA squad.
The No. 6 overall draft choice from 2016 was the night’s leading scorer for much of the evening, before a barrage of Jamal Murray shots (9/14 from three-point range) gave the Denver rookie top honors, with 36 points.
“It was a lot of fun,” Hield summarized of the laidback exhibition. “It means a lot to play in New Orleans. Everybody is embracing us, the vibe and the atmosphere. I just wanted to go out and give the fans something good to watch.”
The Oklahoma product paced all scorers at halftime with 19 points, staking the World to a 77-66 advantage. Among his first-half hoops was an athletic alley oop dunk, off a long pass by Murray from halfcourt.
“(I was) just out there having fun,” said Hield, whose season-most shot attempts with the Pelicans is 17, en route to a career-high 21 points vs. Indiana on Dec. 15.
Asked if his Friday performance could serve as a springboard to the final 25 games New Orleans (23-34) will play following the All-Star break, Hield agreed, saying, “I feel like when you get a lot of confidence and start to shoot the ball well and you start having fun and feel comfortable out there, it will loosen you up a little more. I’ve just got to keep getting better and use it as a major boost to the second half and continue to shoot the ball well.”