By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

National Basketball Association  (NBA) pro Chavano “Buddy” Hield has hit yet another career milestone in the Golden State Warriors uniform. He notched 10,000 career points in the team’s victory against the third-seeded OKC Thunder on Sunday night at the Paycom Centre in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

The Grand Bahamian three-point specialist joined an exclusive group of Bahamians NBA pros to eclipse 10,000 points in their careers. The short list includes two-time NBA champion Mychal ‘Sweet Bells’ Thompson and his son four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson. 

It was no surprise that Hield hit his 10,000 point with a 23-foot three-pointer. He connected on the long range shot at the 2:55 mark of the third quarter which gave the visiting team a 103-75 advantage over OKC.

The Warriors prevailed 127-116 over the Thunder to improve to an 8-2 (win/loss record) on the season for a three-way tie for first place in the competitive Western Conference. 

The GSW shooting guard poured in 8 points, five rebounds and two assists off the bench. He shot 3-for-8 from the field and 2-for-5 from behind the arc in 21 minutes played. 

“Buddy” has been a key offseason acquisition for the Warriors in the wake of them losing former Splash Brother Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks in free agency. The newest “Splash Buddy” has provided Golden State with a necessary spark off the bench, averaging 18 points per game, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists.

Hield is also knocking down 48.8 per cent of his 8.2 three point attempts per game.

GSW point guard Stephen Curry led all scorers in the victory against the OKC Thunder on Sunday night. He had a game-high 36 points, seven assists and five rebounds. 

Curry finished the game shooting 13-for-23 from the field and 7-for-13 from three-point territory.

The Thunder were up 33-26 at the end of the first quarter but saw their big man Chet Holmgren exit the contest early midway through the opening period with a pelvic fracture.

While the OKC struggled to generate momentum without Holmgren’s inside presence, the Warriors ramped up the offensive intensity in the second quarter.

GSW took a nine point lead (58-49) at the 1:50 mark after De’Anthony Melton made a three-pointer. The Warriors outscored the Thunder 39-25 in the second period to be in charge 65-58 at halftime.

The road team carried their second quarter offensive surge into the second half. What was just a seven-point lead at halftime blossomed into a 20-point cushion in the third period, 

Warriors power forward Draymond Green canned a three at the 4:55 mark to give his team a 92-72 lead.

The game was a foregone conclusion as the Thunder struggled to rebound from injuries to their frontcourt.

The Warriors now sit in a three-way tie for the first spot in the Western Conference. It is their third best start in franchise history since the 2015-16 season and 2021-22 season respectively. 

Golden State started the 2015-16 season with 24 consecutive wins and the 2021-22 season with a 9-1 win/loss record.

The Warriors will now prepare to face Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks in their opening game of the Emirates NBA Cup group stage tonight at 10pm in the Chase Centre.