Wiggins’ breakout game eases sting of Warriors’ OT loss to Thunder

Wiggins’ breakout game eases sting of Warriors’ OT loss to Thunder originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors’ sixth consecutive loss perhaps was their most painful yet this season, but as frustrating as it might have been, it didn’t completely overshadow the night Andrew Wiggins had.

Wiggins scored a season-high 31 points on 12-of-19 shooting from the field and 5 of 8 from 3-point range in the Warriors’ 130-123 overtime loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday at Chase Center.

“I’ve been putting in the work,” Wiggins shared. “I’ve been getting the shots up, working hard and just trying to do the little things on the court. Knowing that shots will fall.”

“The ball went in the hoop,” Kerr said of Wiggins’ big game. “He played great, he knocked down shots, but he was also really good defensively. I thought Wiggs was fantastic and great to see him break out after the slow start to the season. He looked great.”

Wiggins was ice-cold through the Warriors’ first 13 games this season and his shot was nowhere to be found. However, on Saturday, he delivered with clutch basket after clutch basket, including what many thought was the game-winning 3-pointer that gave Golden State a 117-114 lead with 1.6 seconds remaining in regulation.

Thunder center Chet Holmgren spoiled the party and nailed an acrobatic triple in the corner to tie the game as the buzzer sounded to force overtime, where guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a lively Thunder team handed the Warriors another loss.

Golden State has been searching for a secondary scorer to superstar Steph Curry all season. Ideally, that would be sharpshooter Klay Thompson, but Wiggins is more than capable of leading the way as he did on Saturday. As demoralizing as the loss might have been, Wiggins’ emergence is a bright light at the end of a dark tunnel and his continued success will be key to ending the skid.

“It’s part of it, yeah,” Curry said of Wiggins’ impact playing a role in righting the ship. “He’s been aggressive and playing with great energy, especially recently trying to get himself out of whatever funk he found himself in. Hitting shots is great, but you like to see him having fun out there and him being rewarded for the energy he’s putting in the game.

“That was great to see. He obviously hit some big shots and the message for him is keep being aggressive, take shots you think you should take. He’s bringing it on the defensive end, he does that every game. So it’s nice to see him get rewarded and hopefully it continues.”

Wiggins never lost faith in his ability and as one of the NBA’s better two-way players, did everything he could outside of knocking down shots to contribute on the floor.

“Lose confidence? No. I know what I can do and what I’ve done since I’ve been here just playing within the system, playing with these guys,” Wiggins explained. “Just knowing what I can do, being confident in myself. If shots aren’t falling and you’re in a funk, just keep shooting, try to do the little things on the court. Rebound, defend. Knowing that your shot will come eventually.”

An explosive and confident Wiggins had the Warriors on the doorstep of victory and while it didn’t work out in the end, the team showed flashes of who they aspire to be this season and why the 28-year-old forward is a big piece to the puzzle.

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