How Buddy Hield and Kevon Looney Helped the Warriors Steal Home-Court Advantage
- Brennan Valladares
- May 7, 2025
- 3 min read
With Steph Curry exiting with a hamstring strain, Buddy Hield and Kevon Looney shifted the tides in Game 1.
If it seemed odd that Buddy Hield was asking for a timeout 58 seconds in the opening game between the Warriors and Timberwolves, it’s because it was.
Hield was quick to get his first shot up, but that wouldn’t have been enough to have already gassed him out, right? Correct! It was actually because he had the wrong pair of shorts on in Round 2 of the NBA playoffs.
Just so we’re all on the same page, Buddy Hield, a nine-year NBA veteran, had recorded one shot and one delay of game warning due to a wardrobe mishap not even one minute into Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals. After a quick exit stage left and a shorts exchange, Hield returned physically, but his game stayed in the green room. He finished the first half with two points on 0-for-7 shooting. Even so, The Warriors were able to build a 13-point lead by halftime, but with Steph Curry exiting with a hamstring strain and a Minnesota brick fest from 3 (0-for-15 is a rough watch), that gap didn’t seem quite as daunting.
But Hield doesn’t have the alter ego of “Buddy Buckets” without being able to get buckets, and with the Warriors’ franchise player sidelined, he along with Kevon Looney helped take down the No. 3 seed in the West for a 1-0 series lead.
Hield was scoreless through the first two minutes of the third after missing his eighth straight shot. Normally, getting a layup or drawing a foul would be the prescribed method for breaking out of a shooting slump. But for a player trailing only the greatest shooter ever for most made 3s over the past five seasons, it makes sense that Hield’s first field goal came from behind the arc.
Doing his best Curry impression with Draymond Green, Hield convinced Julius Randle he was sprinting into a dribble handoff before slamming on the brakes and relocating to the left wing. Green, having partaken in that dance before, slipped a bounce pass to the escaping Hield who lined it up and found the bottom of the net.
And as the story goes, once one goes in, more will follow, and Hield became possessed with that mentality. He went on to score nine straight points for the Warriors, including these two shots that gave Golden State a 20-point lead.
Hield had a 16-point third quarter and had 22 of his 24 in the second half. The Warriors needed all 24 too, because even with a 20-point lead heading into the fourth, there were still 12 minutes of basketball to be played. Thankfully, the Warriors had another committee member to help tame the Timberwolves.
Moses Malo-- I mean Kevon Looney was one of the best per-minute rebounders in the NBA in 2025. He ranked fourth in total rebounds and offensive rebounds per 36 minutes. For a Warriors team that is light on front-court size, having a “big man” (6-foot-9 is pretty tall) who is willing to do all the dirty work is invaluable against a team with size across the board like Minnesota.
The Timberwolves were riding the momentum of a 15-5 run in the fourth before Looney checked back into the game. When he did, it was undeniable his impact on the Warriors maintaining their lead. It started with him contesting an Anthony Edwards drive without fouling. Then, he proceeded to give Golden State two additional opportunities on offense before fouling Gobert pursuing another offensive board.
Without this relentlessness, Minnesota could’ve gotten a better look than two free throws from a career 64% shooter. After Gobert split his attempts, Hield nailed another 3 to give the Warriors a 12-point edge. But Minnesota wasn’t going away and neither was Looney. After the Hield make, Jaden McDaniels sprinted up the court looking to get a quick two points. Looney played perfect hands-up defense to force the miss before corralling his fourth rebound. On the next defensive possession, he walled up Gobert and got his fifth board, and his sixth followed shortly after a Jimmy Butler III miss.
Stars put teams in the conversation for championship contending. The surrounding cast can make it a concrete reality. In the opening game of the Western Conference Semifinals, the Warriors' others stepped up in a huge way to help steal home-court advantage. However, while it doesn't need to be written, if Golden State has to rely on Buddy Hield explosions and Kevon Looney rebounds to beat this Minnesota team, its chances of advancing are quite slim. For now, though, the Warriors have a 1-0 series lead and will await any news on their star.
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