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Sooners in the NBA: Trae Young scores career-high 56 points vs Trail Blazers, Buddy Hield nails 7 3-pointers to beat Heat

Trae Young

Former OU guard Trae Young plays for the Atlanta Hawks in their game against the OKC Thunder Nov. 30.

 Caitlyn Epes/The Daily

From Jan. 1-7, former Sooners guard Trae Young scored a career-high 56 points, guard Buddy Hield shot 46-percent from the 3-point line, guard Austin Reaves went 3-0 and forward Blake Griffin continued to contribute off the bench.

Through three months of play, Griffin’s Brooklyn Nets are second in the Eastern conference with a 24-13 record. Young and the Atlanta Hawks are 17-21, which places them 12th in the East. In the Western conference, Reaves’ Los Angeles Lakers are in sixth place with a 21-19 record, while Hield’s Sacramento Kings are in 11th place with a 16-25 record.

Here’s a look at former Sooners’ performances in recent games:

Trae Young (2 games): 40.5 points per game, 6.5 rebounds per game, 14 assists per game

While only playing two games this week due to a back injury, Young maintained his elite level of play. On Monday, Jan. 3, Young scored a career-high 56 points in a 136-131 loss to the Portland Trailblazers. He also finished with a game-high 14 assists.

Friday, Jan. 7 saw Young post a 25-point, nine-rebound and 14-assist performance in a 134-118 loss to the Lakers.

Buddy Hield (4 games): 17.5 points per game, 4.8 rebounds per game, 2 assists per game

Against the Miami Heat on Sunday, Jan. 2, Hield scored a game-high 26 points while making seven of nine 3-point attempts. The Kings went on to win 115-113.

Hield followed that performance with another 26-point night, this time on Tuesday, Jan. 4, against the Lakers, but the Kings still fell 122-114.

On Wednesday, Jan. 5, Hield scored 11 points and grabbed six rebounds in a 108-102 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Friday, Jan. 7, saw Hield finish with seven points, two rebounds and two assists in a 121-111 loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Austin Reaves (3 games): 1.3 points per game, 2.3 rebounds per game, 1.7 assists per game

Reaves scored two points and grabbed four rebounds in a 108-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, Jan 2.

On Tuesday, Jan. 4, Reaves was held scoreless, but managed two rebounds and an assist in a 122-114 win over the Kings. Reaves capped the week with a two-point performance against the Hawks on Jan. 7. The Lakers went on to win the Friday night matchup, 134-118.

Blake Griffin (3 games): 3.3 points per game, 2.3 rebounds per game, 0.7 assists per game

On New Year’s Day, Griffin grabbed three rebounds, two of those being offensive, in a 120-116 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Monday, Jan. 3, saw Griffin score 10 points and record a steal in a 118-104 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Griffin was held scoreless again on Wednesday, Jan. 5. Despite that, the Nets defeated the Indiana Pacers 129-121.

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