SAN FRANCISCO — When the Warriors acquired Andrew Wiggins from the Minnesota Timberwolves in March 2020, many viewed it as a gamble. Could Golden State really absorb another max contract? Especially on Wiggins, who many viewed as an overpaid, underachieving former No. 1 overall pick?
Now Wiggins and the Warriors are one win away from the title.
As the minutes dwindled down off the clock Monday night, the Celtics were just trying to delay the inevitable. Their demise was coming, it was just a matter of when. Then Wiggins played the role of undertaker.
With just over two minutes left, Wiggins broke off a screen from the top of the key and got Derrick White on a switch and went up for a dunk. Wiggins threw down a huge one-handed slam and followed it up with a mean mug for him – which you don’t often see from the collected Canadian – and Jayson Tatum was caught in the crossfire.
Wiggins’ huge slam put an exclamation mark on Golden State’s 104-94 win to take a 3-2 series lead in the NBA Finals.
"It's something I dreamt about for sure, being in the league, and this is the ultimate stage," Wiggins said. "It doesn't get bigger than this. I was out there being aggressive. It was a good game."
It also capped a huge game for Wiggins, who scored 26 points and had 13 rebounds as he continues to shed the 'inconsistent' and 'lackadaisical' labels that dogged him in Minnesota.
Earlier this week, Wiggins admitted that all the doubts "bothered" him as he joined Golden State via trade in March 2020. For a package centered around D'Angelo Russell, the Warriors acquired Wiggins and protected draft pick, which ended up being No. 7 selection Jonathan Kuminga. Joe Lacob is probably more giddy by the game, thinking about how that trade is impacting the franchise's current and future chances to win championships.
Over the past two-and-a-half years, especially the playoffs, Wiggins has established himself as a max effort, no BS, no maintenance kind of teammate who isn't afraid to do the dirty work. While he used to be relied on to shoulder the load for the franchise and be the leading scorer, he can simply be himself with the Warriors.
In Game 4, he also posted a monster 17-point, 16-rebound double-double. Golden State has always seen this in Wiggins, maybe more than he even saw in himself.
"That trust has been building for two and a half years now since he got here," Draymond Green said.
OK, maybe Warriors coach Steve Kerr had to admit that Wiggins' production in the Finals is exceeding initial expectations.
"We had no idea that he would make this kind of contribution," Kerr said. "But I think it's a reminder that for every -- almost every player in the NBA, circumstances are everything. You kind of need to find the right place, the right teammates, that kind of stuff. Wiggs has been a great fit."
This marked Wiggins' third poster of the postseason, as he also threw down huge slams on Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic and Memphis Grizzlies big man Brandon Clarke in the second round.
The Warriors have poked and prodded Wiggins to get him more aggressive on the floor. They love to see that fire show itself in rare flashes.
"We don't get more excited than when Wiggs dunks on somebody and mean mugs 'em," Klay Thompson said.
Wiggins led the Warriors offense when Steph Curry had an off-night shooting (after switching to his lucky purple playoff shoes at halftime) and scored 16 points on 7-of-22 from the field. His streak of 233-straight games with a 3-pointer was snapped as he went 0-for-9.
His Splash Brother Klay heated up in the second half and finished with 21 points. Now we’ll get to see Game 6 Klay with a chance to win the title Thursday night in Boston.
"I've never been so excited to go to Boston," Thompson said. "I'll tell you that."
It’s right there. Right at their fingertips after all the turmoil.
On the three-year anniversary of the night everything went wrong for the franchise – Klay’s ACL injury and the 2019 NBA Finals-ending loss in the final game at Oracle Arena – the Warriors have put themselves just 48 minutes away from hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy.
How sweet would it be to win it all in Boston, under all them banners?
The Warriors will have a chance to find out in Game 6.
"Just everyone showing love and support and everyone is happy," Wiggins said of the locker room vibe. "We're one win away from winning a championship. Everyone's excited."
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