It wasn’t going to be easy for Andrew Wiggins to top his performance from Game 4 of the NBA Finals. Wiggins had scored 17 points while hauling in a career-high 16 rebounds to help the Golden State Warriors get a much-needed win and tie up the series at 2 games apiece.
He was the only Warrior apart from Steph Curry to really show up in that game, and when Curry had an off-night in Game 5, Wiggins delivered arguably the best game of his career. The former #1 overall pick finished with a team-high 26 points to go with a game-high 13 rebounds while also playing some lockdown defense on Jayson Tatum to lead Golden State to victory. Stars around the league were in awe of Wiggins after his sensational performance.
Andrew Wiggins future warrior legend
— kuz (@kylekuzma) June 14, 2022
If you’d told someone when he was traded to the Warriors that Wiggins would become such a key component that he might become a Warrior legend someday, they’d have laughed at your face. It speaks to how he has sacrificed for the cause and the work that he has put in to improve his game.
Wiggs is making the game look easy. He’s not forcing anything. He’s letting the game come to him but he’s still being aggressive!
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) June 14, 2022
Dwyane Wade also praised Wiggins for not forcing anything and letting the game come to him. He played within the flow of the offense and delivered repeatedly.
Keep killing @22wiggins 😤
— Zach LaVine (@ZachLaVine) June 14, 2022
His former teammate Zach LaVine who played with him at the Timberwolves, also cheered on Wiggins as he put his imprint all over Game 5. The Warriors needed someone to step up as Curry finally had an off-night in the series, and Wiggins delivered when it mattered the most.
He was fired up after the game as he should have been, as he now has the Warriors on the cusp of yet another championship. Wiggins has done his reputation a world of good this season with Golden State, and all the criticism he got after being named an All-Star starter seems long forgotten at this point.