Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins put up one of the best performances we’ve seen from the former No. 1 pick during his up-and-down career Monday night.
With Golden State needing a home win in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics to take a 3-2 lead, “Maple Jordan” delivered big time.
The embattled wing scored a team-high 26 points while grabbing 13 rebounds in what was a tremendous all-around performance.
Despite struggling from distance (missed all six of his three-pointers), Wiggins’ athleticism showed up in a big way. He also played elite defense against the likes of Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown (nine combined turnovers).
For Andrew Wiggins, this represented a second consecutive coming-out party on the NBA’s grandest of stages. Remember, he scored 17 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in Golden State’s Game 4 win over the Celtics in Boston.
With that said, Wiggins was on a completely different level inside the Chase Center Monday night en route to pulling the Warriors to within one win of their fourth NBA title in eight years.
For an unassuming Wiggins, this performance had to feel good. He’s making the haters eat crow in finally living up to the expectations that came with being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.
Andrew Wiggins stats (2022 NBA Finals): 18.4 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 45% shooting
While it’s still highly likely Stephen Curry wins the NBA Finals MVP if the Warriors come out on top, Wiggins has put his name in the conversation with his great all-around play.
Related: Winners and losers from Warriors Game 5 victory in the NBA Finals