Golden State Warriors: The Andrew Wiggins game gives GSW 3-2 Finals lead
The Andrew Wiggins “game” has the Golden State Warriors one win away from their fourth championship in eight years.
When the Golden State Warriors acquired Andrew Wiggins at the NBA Trade Deadline a couple of seasons ago, it seemed like an afterthought, a mistake, and a regrettable move for a team that was well past their glory.
However, after a sensational Game 5 performance from Wiggins, the Warriors are now one win away from their fourth championship in eight years and a first since 2018. Wiggins finished with a team-high 26 points and looked everything but like an afterthought, a mistake, or a regrettable acquisition against the Boston Celtics.
In fact, with Stephen Curry having a rough shooting night, it was Wiggins’ offensive bursts and defensive stinginess that kept the Warriors afloat and helped them ultimately pull away from the pesky Celtics.
Golden State will now have two chances to close out the Celtics and clinch an NBA Finals win, with the first being in Game 6 in Boston and a second (if necessary) in Game 7 on their home floor.
The Warriors are now in full control of the NBA Finals. This series is far from over, however. In fact, in each of their last two series, the Celtics have had to win road Game 7s to advance to where they are.
Winning a third road Game 7 will be tough, but the Celtics have the personnel to get it done. Of course, it’s not ideal but it’s now what they’ll have to do to win a championship.
At least for now, the narrative should be about the Warriors and Wiggins. Golden State is not in the position they are right now without Wiggins, and there’s an argument to make that Wiggins’ career is not resurrected to the place it is now without the Warriors.
In 2020, Wiggins and the Warriors needed each other. If that wasn’t evident then, it’s surely evident now.
In Game 5, Curry shot just 7-22 from the field with Boston’s defensive focus shifting his way. It opened up nearly every other avenue for Golden State’s offense. And Wiggins very much took advantage of that.
He finished with 26 points and 13 rebounds 12-23 shooting from the field. What’s even more impressive is that he managed to shoot that efficiently while going 0-6 from 3. Doing the math, he shot 12-17 from 2-point range.
And Golden State needed every bit of it with Steph struggling and Draymond Green still being a bit apprehensive on the offensive end of the floor. He did play much better, finishing with eight points but only took six shots on the night.
The Warriors have rallied around the moniker of being “light years ahead.” And while it’s impossible to measure that tangibly, such moves as acquiring Wiggins simply echo that.
I’m not sure if many envisioned the move a couple of seasons ago to acquire Wiggins would make much of an impact for the team overall, much less in a pivotal Game 5 in the NBA Finals. But the Warriors’ brass will get credit for that.
Next. The Zion Williamson hype will return next season for the Pelicans. dark
The Warriors are now one win away from NBA glory again. And Wiggins has played a big part in their success this season and this series. He’s arguably been the second-best player for the Warriors against the Celtics. Now that is light years ahead.