Kings’ Buddy Hield hits milestone for 3s. The man whose mark he broke was full of praise

Before the Kings’ season finale tipped off, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard seemed certain a mark he set would fall.

“I’m pretty sure he’s going to pass it tonight,” the three-time All-Star said of Buddy Hield’s shot at making the most 3-pointers in a player’s first three NBA seasons.

Early in the first quarter, the Kings guard shot himself into the record books.

Hield hit nothing but net on a 3-pointer with 9:21 left for his 600th career make from outside the arc, breaking the mark Lillard set four seasons ago.

Lillard said he’s been following Hield’s game since his collegiate days.

“I watched him a lot at Oklahoma because he had a buzz around the country,” Lillard said. “When he got drafted by New Orleans, the opportunity wasn’t great for him. Once he got to Sac, you can tell he lit up with the opportunity and he’s taking advantage of it.”

Hield broke the franchise record for made 3-pointers earlier this season, surpassing the 240 made by Peja Stojakovic in 2003-04. Going 1 for 2 in the opening period, he’s now at 276.

The Kings’ fast pace has surely helped Hield get attempts, but he’s also been efficient with those shots. The shooting guard is making 3s at a 42.6 percent clip, a much better number than the 36.8 percent Lillard shot from outside the arc in his first three seasons.

Kings coach Dave Joerger credits the time Hield puts in to improve his game.

“He works extremely hard and plays with a lot of energy and charisma,” Joerger said. “He’s been fun to coach and I hope I’ve helped him be successful and I know that he’s made me a better coach.”

Hield’s second 3 of the night pushed him up another chart. The 277th make this season puts him in seventh place for a single season, one better than the 276 hit by the Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson in 2015-16.

This story was originally published April 10, 2019 at 8:18 PM.