Andrew Wiggins plays Steph Curry’s sidekick perfectly in Warriors win – NBC Sports Bay Area & California
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Andrew Wiggins plays Steph Curry’s sidekick perfectly in Warriors win – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

Posted on by Amelia Pressman

Steph Curry addressed the Minnesota Timberwolves fans sitting on the sidelines before the ball was even halfway in the air. When he turned to look back at the ball, it had just landed in the net and was whizzing through the net to give the Warriors a three-point lead with 47 seconds left. The celebration had begun.

Curry had won his superstar battle against Anthony Edwards, outscoring his Team USA teammate, who is more than 13 years his junior, 31-28. The last few possessions showed why Andrew Wiggins was the perfect foil for Curry in the Warriors’ 116-115 victory over the Timberwolves on Wednesday night at Target Center.

With the Warriors leading by one point, 111-110, Wiggins moved to shield Jaden McDaniels on an off-court play to free Curry on their next offensive possession. McDaniels is 6-foot-3 and doesn’t have a passive bone in his body when he plays defense. McDaniels tried to pass through Wiggins, but he held on and McDaniels was whistled for a foul that sent Wiggins to the free throw line.

There, Wiggins made his ninth and 10th free throws of the night, giving the Warriors a three-point lead. He then immediately grabbed a great rebound after a missed 3-point attempt by Edwards while being picked on by several Wolves. However, his biggest rebound of the game came nine seconds later.

Gary Payton II could have given Golden State a three-point lead in the final 10 seconds. But as his free throw hit the front, back and left side of the rim before bouncing outward and off multiple hands, Wiggins shot in from outside the arc, secured the rebound, dribbled down the clock and found Curry for two Made free throws to seal the deal.

“I thought Wiggs was great,” Steve Kerr told reporters after the win. “When Steph was out, he really took over the offense. I got to the foul line and maintained our lead in the third quarter.”

The Warriors were without Wiggins (personal reason) in the first two games of their four-game road trip, in which they won one and lost one. Wiggins then faced the Warriors in Toronto, where he scored an efficient 20 points on 6 of 13 field shots and 4 of 9 on three-pointers in an incredibly disappointing loss. On Wednesday he was even better.

Wiggins scored 24 points and 18 came in the second half. Even though the box score said he had five rebounds, it seemed more like ten to me. His shooting night, 6 of 16 overall and 2 of 8 from deep, was not as good as the previous game. What he provided to the Warriors when Curry was on the bench, and how, was far more important.

When Wiggins replaced Curry at 3:22 of the third quarter, the Warriors had a nine-point lead. Wiggins didn’t fail with his 3-point shot, so he took advantage of Tony Brothers and the refereeing staff’s penchant for blowing the whistle, driving downhill and racking up points in every way possible.

First, he brought Mike Conley to the field and was fouled attempting a shot. The Timberwolves challenged the call. They lost and Wiggins made both free throws. The next time on the court, Wiggins beat Naz Reid off the dribble to attack the basket and was fouled by Julius Randle on his left-handed layup attempt. Two more free throws and two more free points. Wiggins then stripped Edwards on one side and beat him off the dribble on the other side for a left-handed finger roll layup.

On the fourth consecutive offensive possession, Wiggins again beat the Timberwolves off the dribble and was fouled by Nickeil Alexander-Walker, but missed both free throws.

Later in the fourth quarter, with Curry taking a break at midcourt for about three minutes, Wiggins made his second and final three-pointer, extending the Warriors’ lead to six points.

“I just go out there and make a basket,” Wiggins said. “I tried to stay aggressive and whatever the team needs me to do to win, I just try to do that.”

The lack of athleticism and descending ability in Jonathan Kuminga’s injury-related absence was glaring. Wiggins has morphed more and more into a 3-and-D type of player. His offense hovers much more around the 3-point line than the paint. That wasn’t what his play in Minnesota called for, nor was it the way the game was officiated.

In the last two games, Wiggins is now 14 of 18 from the free throw line and 4 of 8 from the free throw line, with three of those coming in Wednesday’s win.

The curtain call belonged to the game’s greatest showman, Steph Curry. His buddy’s dirty work made all the difference.

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