Sam Hauser vs. Buddy Hield: a pistolero duel

As usual, the latest Celtics vs. Warriors matchup delivered another classic. With lingering drama from the Olympics, the blowout last March, and the 2022 Finals, this game was a must-see. Amid the spotlight on Jayson Tatum, Steve Kerr, and Stephen Curry, two unexpected players stole the show. Two pistoleros, ready to fire up and light up the cold Boston night.

Our two Usual Suspects: Buddy Hield and Sam Hauser. These two are, after NBA's Keyser Söze Stephen Curry, among the best shooters in the league. With their off-ball movement, limitless range, and efficiency, they force defenses to stay vigilant. Yesterday, these two pistoleros faced off, and they went at it. While Buddy Hield might have the upper hand in shooting and movement, Sam Hauser stands out as the better defender.

Luckily for us, they often matched up on the floor and had to play defense against one another. It set the stage for an old-school duel, one-on-one... but who dominated the matchup? What did it take to stop them? And how were they optimized? Let's break down the film, analyze the game, and find out who came out on top in this duel.

Boston has the ball and runs a Strong Action for Sam Hauser. Staggered screens off-ball allow Sam to run and shake his matchup. Buddy Hield ends up switching onto Sam, gets stuck under the screen, and Sam finds himself open... but misses! Buddy Hield sees an opportunity, runs the floor, receives the ball, and pulls up over Sam Hauser... and makes it!

First punch for the Warriors, who lead 1-0 in our duel, even though Sam had the better opportunity.

This time, the Warriors have the ball. Sam Hauser is carefully defending Buddy Hield. Hield starts on the left wing, slowly moves into the paint, then sprints to the top of the key using Looney's down-screen.

Sam gets caught on the screen, Kornet drops, and Buddy Hield is open, making the Celtics pay again—2-0 in favor of the Warrior in this duel.

Back on the other side of the court, Sam Hauser has a chance to close the gap with Buddy Hield.

To free up Sam, the Celtics call a Spain Pick-and-Roll. The ball is in Jayson Tatum's hands. Kornet sets a high ball screen, while Sam Hauser sets a back screen on Kornet's matchup, creating confusion.

Kuminga gets caught on the screen, and Buddy Hield is forced to help on the drive, leaving Sam alone. Sam sprints to the three-point line; Looney is too slow to keep up, and Kuminga is too far away. Sam is open and makes the shot! The duel score is now 2-1.

On the very next possession, Buddy Hield is already ready for revenge. The Celtics anticipate Looney's screen and match up Jayson Tatum on him. Tatum should be higher on the floor, able to help Sam contain Hield's shooting threat.

The Warriors engage a Zoom Action for Buddy Hield, with an off-ball screen and a handoff from Kyle Anderson. However, instead of running through the ball after Looney's screen, Buddy receives the ball directly. Sam gets caught on the screen, and Tatum isn't at the screen level. The result? Buddy Hield is open and scores again, 3-1 for Buddy.

Onto the second quarter for our fifth round. This time, we get an on-ball duel. The Warriors' offense is stagnant, and Buddy has the ball in his hands.

He retreats up to the half-court line, using a Kyle Anderson screen to create space between him and Sam Hauser. However, Sam is a solid on-ball defender, while Buddy is more effective creating separation off-ball.

Buddy dribbles around the screen, pulls up for three... but Sam is able to block him from behind without fouling. Impressive! The score now stands at 3-2 for Buddy.

The ball is with the Celtics, and Sam has a chance to tie up in his duel with Buddy. Payton Pritchard has the ball and is matched up with a slower Kyle Anderson. Fast-PP drives and forces Lindy Waters III to leave Sam Hauser open.

Pritchard kicks out to Sam Hauser, who fakes, side-steps, and pulls up from the corner... but it doesn't go in. Luckily for the Warriors and Buddy Hield, Sam seems to be having a cold night.

Sam Hauser is on the bench, but the duel goes on as Buddy Hield remains on the court. Payton Pritchard steps in as the defender on the Warriors' shooter.

Buddy is on the court with Curry and Green, making him even more dangerous. The Warriors run a post-up play to free their shooter, often running split action from a Draymond Green post-up to generate cuts and open shots. Here, they give Green the ball in the post, and Curry sets a flare screen for Buddy Hield.

As both Curry and Hield are off-ball threats who move constantly, this creates chaos. With White focused on Curry, Pritchard can't stop Buddy alone, but he navigates the screen well and contests Hield from behind. Hield misses the three-point shot.

Another opportunity for Buddy Hield to extend his lead over Sam Hauser. Payton Pritchard is still doing his best to slow down the Warriors' pistolero, while Sam takes on Anderson.

Once again, the Warriors run off-ball screens with Looney: a chin screen for Kuminga, followed by Looney setting a pindown screen for Buddy. Sam steps in to help, and Pritchard navigates the screen. He spins around Looney and closes on Hield... but it doesn't matter. The pistolero strikes again, making it 4-2 for Buddy Hield.

A fresh on-ball duel is up! Like earlier, Buddy has the ball in his hands, ready to take on Sam Hauser—at least, he thinks so.

Buddy tries to cross him once, and again, but Sam doesn't bite on the dribble and stays glued to Hield. The shot clock winds down, and Buddy is forced to take a step-back shot over Sam, who contests it well. Great defense from Sam, who forces a miss from the Bahamian sharpshooter.

Late in the third, Sam has a chance to close the gap in this pistolero duel. The Celtics run a Delay Spain Pick-and-Roll—delay because Sam comes up slightly later than in a usual Spain Pick-and-Roll. This action helps counter the blitz on Payton Pritchard, who finds Kornet on the short roll.

As Kornet gets the ball on the short roll, Kyle Anderson switches onto him, leaving Sam Hauser open. Sam runs up to the three-point line and fires from there, taking his time to make the shot. 4-3, and Sam Hauser is getting closer to Buddy in this duel.

We're late in the fourth, with the Warriors holding a four-point lead and possession. The Celtics aggressively defend Stephen Curry.

Green sets a screen to force a switch onto Al Horford. Once switched, Curry drives, using his speed to put Horford behind him. Jayson Tatum steps up to help, but he loses focus for a second, leaving Buddy Hield open in the corner.

Hield relocates, gets a wide-open look from three... takes it... and makes it! The Celtics are down seven with 45 seconds left. It's the dagger from the Bahamian pistolero. The Warriors win the game, and Buddy wins the duel. The rematch is set for January, and I can't wait!