In the first bout of Buddy Hield versus Ben Simmons, Hield took home the heavyweight title belt.
Convincingly and humbly, Hield walked off the court the metaphorical hardware.
Amid signing a fury of autographs from the LSU and Oklahoma faithful, Hield squeezed in time to eulogize with Simmons — his remaining No. 1 contender for the nation’s top player — after the game.
“Yeah, I just told him to keep his head up and keep working,” Hield said. “I’m hoping we get the chance to play each other again in the future.”
But, Saturday was Buddy’s bash, not Simmons’ soiree.
After missing his first two attempts in the second half, Hield banged in seven of his last 10 three-pointers. He scored 15 points in the final 10 minutes, compared with Simmons’ — who finished with 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field — zero points with one shot attempt down the final haul.
How did Hield do it?
“Just all confidence,” he said. “[My teammates] kept lifting me up, even though I missed my first two in the second half. They were good sports, and I was able to knock down a good bit of shots.”
Surprisingly though, Hield didn’t knock in the go-ahead bucket to clinch the Sooners 77-75 win against LSU on Saturday. That honor went to Hield’s roommate in Norman, senior guard Isaiah Cousins — the difference maker as Hield called him.
In the final play drawn in his 100th win with Oklahoma, coach Lon Kruger gave Cousins the rock with 20 seconds to go, and had the 6-foot-4, sharpshooting Hield setting a screen for Cousins.
“Tim [Quarterman] was guarding me and he was calling ‘screen, screen’ so I did a good job selling it, then slipped it,” Hield said after the win.
As LSU predicted, Hield was set to screen, hoping to draw just enough space away from the nation’s top shooting guard, so Cousins could dish it to Hield for the game-winner.
But, Hield and Cousins — who’ve been playing together for four years — improvised.
Hield, as predictable and streaky as he was in his 21-point second half, made LSU swallow the bait. Hield darted away from the ball, leaving Cousins a straight-away path to his favorite shot off the dribble in his left hand, thus spurring Oklahoma to its 18th and “most satisfying” victory this season, Cousins said.
“I’m happy for Isaiah, he had a terrific game,” Kruger said.
Cousins’ “terrific game” mantra was also respected by Hield, the game’s leading scorer with 32 points on a 50 percent shooting night from the field and made 8-for-15 from behind the arc.
Cousins provided an offensive spark when Hield wasn’t swishing long balls against LSU — which was a rarity. Cousins knocked in 18 points of his own and seven assists. But what was most important to Hield and Kruger were his four steals and defensive presence.
Cousins was everywhere, they said.
“It turned the game around,” Hield said. “Isaiah turned the second half. He got after Quarterman. He made a lot of defensive plays. Everybody, just the energy, fed off of that.”
But, why did Oklahoma not go to the one of the nation’s leading scorers to close out the game? Well, being the No. 1 team in the nation, the options are fruitful and duplicative.
“The two guys were involved with a high level of confidence for the last few minutes,” Kruger said. “I liked the idea of Isaiah getting to his spot and getting off a good shot.”
Cousins earned Hield’s and Kruger’s voice of approval for his performance and Oklahoma’s win, which enraged LSU students, and a few of them, into arrest.
After Tim Quarterman charged the full length of the floor to a missed layup, Oklahoma celebrated to the PMAC’s dismay.
The party had started for the Sooners complete with chest bumps, high fives and hugs, which inspired a few students to launch water bottles, cups and other liquids at Sooner players, along with shouts of derogatory intent.
But, Hield — the subject of “overrated and F*ck you, Buddy” chants throughout the game — expected that sort of environment a few hundred feet from Tiger Stadium and included a subtle shoutout to Leonard Fournette.
“Just watching the football games, I knew it was going to be crazy,” Hield said of the PMAC’s environment. “Fournette’s a good player.”
Fournette is to football what Buddy is to basketball. A good player.
You can reach Christian Boutwell on Twitter @Boutwell_TDR

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BILL FEIG

Oklahoma guard Buddy Hield (24) celebrates the team's 77-75 win over LSU in an NCAA college basketball game in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)