The Indiana Pacers sharpshooter Buddy Hield made history on Thursday night during his team’s 135-126 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
After grabbing a game-opening jump ball that was tipped in his direction by the Cavs’ center Jarrett Allen, Hield handed the Pacers a 3-0 lead after just three seconds. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, this is the fastest three-point shot made in the play-by-play era (since 1996-97), thereby surpassing the previous record held by Hall of Famer Reggie Miller by one second. Miller scored with 11:56 left of the opening quarter during a March 5, 2000, game against the Golden State Warriors.
In addition to setting a personal record, Hield also provided his team with the momentum they needed to race to a significant lead over the Cavs. The Pacers’ 135 points on the night are the team’s highest tally for the season.
Hield is currently the league leader in three-pointers as well as the first player in Pacers history with 60 or more three-pointers in a calendar month. He finished the game with 25 points behind 5-of-6 shooting from 3-point range.
