Hawks-Thunder matchup ‘amazing’ place for reunion
Normanites, and Oklahomans everywhere, should be proud.
In an NBA game on Wednesday night in Oklahoma City, two Norman North alums, two Bedlam rivals, put on a show and led their respective teams in scoring.
Former Sooner Trae Young scored 41 points for the Hawks. Former Cowboy Lindy Waters III scored a career-high 25 points for the Thunder.
“Two kids from Norman, meeting back up in the league, it’s amazing,” Waters said.
Young’s Hawks won 136-118. Waters and Young, who have long played with and against each other, met at midcourt and hugged it out after the game.
“I haven’t really got to have a conversation with him for a while, at least since high school,” Waters said. “That was all love.”
They even made tentative plans to work out together this summer.
“It’s good for the state, good for Oklahoma basketball for sure,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “Obviously our fan base has taken to Lindy because of the local dynamic there, and I know Trae Young coming back is a big deal.
“When you’re in high school, I don’t know if anybody’s sitting around thinking your high school teammates are going to be playing against each other in the NBA.”
Waters said a couple of their other high school teammates were at Paycom Center for the game.
For Young, it was his first NBA win in his home state. He was previously 0-3 in Oklahoma City against the Thunder.
Young received a warm ovation when he was introduced before the game.
“I don’t get that very often,” he told reporters. “I always tell people I represent Norman, my family and the city on my back every time I play.”
Young was the fifth pick in the 2018 draft after his phenomenal freshman season at OU. Young cemented himself as an NBA star after leading the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals last season.
Waters, meanwhile, played four years at OSU. He was a good player, but few expected him to play in the NBA.
After playing small-time pro ball in Enid last season, Waters was given a chance with the G League OKC Blue. He rose from a reserve to a starter, transforming himself from an adequate allaround player to an elite 3-point shooter.
Waters shot 7-of-13 from 3-point range Wednesday night. He’s made at least four 3-pointers in his last three games, and he’s attempted at least 10 3pointers in each of those games.
“At this point in the season we’re looking for relevance, and the shots he got tonight were relevant,” Daigneault said. “Obviously he had a loud night because he made seven. It’s been impressive that he’s been ticking up his attempts without sacrificing quality.”
Young shot 13-of-24 from the field and 11-of-12 from the free-throw line. Thirty of his 41 points came in the first half. Had it not been a blowout, Young might have threatened his career-high of 56 points.
“He’s just got such gravity shooting the ball,” Daigneault said. “He really hurt us deeper in the paint early in the game. The threes are one thing, he finds those, makes a lot of them, but I thought he got some easy stuff at the basket.”
Historic half
The Hawks led the Thunder 85-58 at halftime — a palindrome score after palindrome scores of 42-24 and 43-34 in the first two quarters.
Atlanta’s 85 points were the most the Thunder has ever surrendered in a half in team history. The previous high was 82, which the Pacers scored in their blowout of the Thunder last May.
“I thought we let them get comfortable early in the game,” Daigneault said, “and it took us a long time to get some traction after that.”
The game looked like it might be headed for a Grizzlies-esque blowout (73 points), but the final score was a semirespectable 18-point margin after Atlanta led by as many as 34 points.
The Thunder outscored the Hawks by nine points in the second half.