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Sooners in the NBA: Norman North retires Trae Young's No. 11, Buddy Hield posts season-best 36-point game

Trae Young

Freshman guard Trae Young looks to the basket in the game against Texas Feb. 17.

 Caitlyn Epes/The Daily

None of the four former Oklahoma players in the NBA played more than four games in the week of Feb. 12-18 due to the arrival of the All-Star break.

Nevertheless, former Sooners and current Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young delivered two games of at least 30 points, and newly acquired Indiana Pacers guard Buddy Hield scored a season-high in points. Brooklyn Nets forward Blake Griffin saw limited action and Los Angeles Lakers rookie Austin Reaves continued his solid contributions.

In the NBA standings, Griffin’s Nets are 31-28 and the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference while Young’s Hawks are 28-30 and the 10th seed and Hield’s Pacers are 20-40. Meanwhile, in the Western Conference, Reaves’ Lakers are 27-31 and in ninth place.

Here’s a look at how the former Sooners fared in recent NBA action:

Trae Young (3 games): 31 points, 8.3 assists, 50 percent 3-point shooting on 8 attempts 

Young started the week off with a 30-point, 10-assist double-double in a 105-95 loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday, Feb. 13. 

Young followed that with an even better performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers in a 124-116 win on Tuesday, Feb. 15, where he finished with 41 points and nine assists. That was Young’s fifth 40-plus point game of the season.

To finish off his week, Young posted a 22-point and six-assist game in a 130-109 blowout win over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, Feb. 16.

Off the court, Young saw his No. 11 jersey retired by his alma mater, Norman North High School, becoming the first athlete in school history to receive such an honor on Friday night, Feb. 18.

Shortly after the ceremony, Young hopped on a plane for Cleveland, where he will first compete in the MTN DEW 3-point contest at 7 p.m. CT on Saturday, Feb. 19 on TNT. He'll then participate in his first career NBA All-Star Game at 6 p.m. CT on Sunday, Feb. 20.

Buddy Hield (3 games): 21.3 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 10 3-point attempts per game

Hield contributed with 13 points and eight rebounds while shooting a poor 1-of-13 from 3-point range in a 129-120 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, Feb. 13.

Rebounding, Hield scored a season-high 36 points on 14-of-20 shooting that included going 8-of-12 from beyond the arc in a 128-119 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, Feb. 15.

In a 113-108 win against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, Feb. 16, Hield finished with 15 points, seven assists and five rebounds.

Blake Griffin (4 games): 4.3 points, 2 rebounds, 46.2 percent shooting

Despite playing four games, Griffin only managed to tally 47 minutes last week. Against the Miami Heat on Saturday, Feb. 12, Griffin finished with eight points and four rebounds in a 115-111 loss.

Griffin didn’t contribute in the box score in three minutes against the Sacramento Kings on Monday, Feb. 14, in a 109-85 win. In a 111-106 win over the New York Knicks on Wednesday, Feb. 16, Griffin contributed with eight points.

Finally, in a 117-103 loss to the Wizards on Thursday, Feb. 17, Griffin finished with four rebounds.

Austin Reaves (2 games): 11 points, 3.5 rebounds, 40 percent 3-point shooting on 2.5 attempts

In a close 117-115 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, Feb. 12, Reaves scored 13 points on perfect 5-of-5 shooting. Reaves contributed with nine points and four rebounds in a 106-101 win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, Feb. 16.

Up Next

• Young’s Atlanta Hawks at Chicago Bulls - 7 p.m. CT Thursday, Feb. 24

• Hield’s Indiana Pacers vs Oklahoma City Thunder - 6 p.m. CT Friday, Feb. 25

• Griffin’s Brooklyn Nets vs. Boston Celtics - 6:30 p.m. CT Thursday, Feb. 24 (TNT)

• Reaves’ Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers - 9 p.m. CT Friday, Febb. 25 (ESPN)

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