SACRAMENTO — When Game 1 was at its wildest and most annoying as the relentless back and forth of Kings and Warriors came to a major crescendo, the ball found Andrew Wiggins in the closing seconds. Well, of course it did.
It found him because he was wide open. It found him in his first game in two months, right at the start of that thunderous duel. It found him after missing his previous three open 3-point attempts in the fourth quarter. It found him when he could have won the game for the Warriors. And when he missed it, it was basically game over.
The ball found him. But he didn’t miss it. He wanted the shot. Wiggins went in like he’d played all night – like he was sure he was going to make it, like he felt perfectly in rhythm and fully committed to lifting the Warriors like he did in the did last season’s championship run.
“The last one felt amazing – it did,” Wiggins said afterwards with a shrug. “But didn’t go in. But it’s only from up here. I know I’ll be making more recordings.”
The Warriors lost 126-123 in the deafening Golden 1 Center on Saturday. This makes Games 2 an unmissable moment. This puts the warriors on high alert if they weren’t already there. The Kings came close to the Warriors’ best street shot and held on thanks to incredible performances from De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk and Trey Lyles.
But the Warriors’ mood after the game matched Wiggins’ bitter disappointment. There was no fall into despair. There was no grumbling or gnashing of teeth. You’ve been here before. They have endured hostile environments. They played great teams. They made adjustments after hard losses. Most of the time they won. They can handle it if they have the right staff. And now they have Wiggins again.
Basically they lost game 1 but also felt like they won something. They’ve finally got Wiggins back and he’s ready for it. In Game 1, he galloped all over the floor, blocked a career-high four shots, made 7 of his first 12 shots, and played 28 rowdy minutes right when the Warriors needed it.
If he’d only fired a shot or two in the fourth, the Warriors would now be 1-0 up. And the Warriors and Wiggins have every expectation that if things go almost exactly the same again this series, playoff Wiggins will take that shot. ‘Cause he’s back
There is nothing to complain about even after a defeat.
“Well, so great to have him back,” Steve Kerr said of Wiggins. “We are all out there with him. Our team makes sense with wigs back. I thought he was really handsome. I thought he was incredible in the first half. He might have slacked off a bit in the second half, which is to be expected given he hasn’t played a game in over two months. But he was fantastic.”
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Kerr also mentioned that what really killed the Warriors was the 17 offensive rebounds they handed over to the Kings and some defensive issues trying to slow Fox, Monk and Lyles. Some of this, Kerr didn’t need to specify, can likely be fixed once Wiggins is fully prepared to hit with taller players and play a full game of frantic ball defense.
The warriors are prepared. They waited for Wiggins’ family troubles to stabilize. They resumed him a few weeks ago. They put him through a couple of scrimmages earlier this week which Wiggins appears to have dominated. That’s how you lost a good game in your first appearance since the All-Star break. So Wiggins ended up missing a few shots. The Warriors will adopt this scenario every game.
“He was super aggressive,” Draymond Green said of Wiggins. “And the fact that he was aggressive (means) you can live with the fact that he missed some shots that we know he’s going to take. This comes with bringing your legs back under you. But going into a playoff game after 2 1/2 months without playing an NBA game was great. He will continue to get better for us.”
Said Wiggins: “I’m here to compete. I believe in myself and what I can do. Although I missed that shot tonight, I know the next one will go in.”
After those scrimmages, after every Warriors player reported playing tremendously, there was some speculation that Wiggins might even start in Game 1. But that would have been too soon. As it was, Wiggins checked in at 6:21 in the first quarter and essentially played starter minutes from there.
Is that how Wiggins played in the scrimmages?
“Probably even better at scrimmages,” Green said. “He never missed a shot in scrimmage. He was incredible at scrimmages. And he was good tonight. A couple of the shots he normally takes missed. live with them. And knowing how good he can score in basketball.
“He will keep shooting and they will go in. He gets those looks, he stays as aggressive as he was, I like our chances.”
That’s double the meaning of the Warriors feeling “whole” with Wiggins. They love his relaxed manner in the dressing room and on the bench. He’ll work hard, laugh at everyone’s jokes, and maybe quietly crack a joke or two of his own. But most importantly for title pursuit purposes, Wiggins has proven over the last postseason that he can fill in almost all of the Warriors’ gaps – defending the best players, crashing the boards, hitting open shots and making some shots of his own.
They couldn’t have won last year’s championship without him and they wouldn’t have a chance this year without him. It’s pretty easy. And now they have him. We’ve all seen it.
“He’s changing the dynamic of this team,” Green said.
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Trailing by a point before the final shot, the Warriors picked up a rare late-game miss from Fox with 22 seconds left and got the ball to Stephen Curry when Kerr refused to take a time-out to develop the game in the open court to permit. Curry found Klay Thompson, who dribbled onto the lane, pulled the defense and fired it at Wiggins.
“Yes, we will be shooting all day,” Kerr said. “Left corner 3, that’s his place.”
Immediately after the final buzzer, Kerr went upstairs and spoke briefly to Wiggins, only to tell him it was good to have him back.
“He’s such an important part of our team,” Kerr said. “He’s so important to us. And most importantly, we love having him back in our dressing room and competing with him. He’s been through a lot. We’re just so happy he’s back on the pitch. Gives him a little bit of sanctuary to be on the pitch and be with his boys.”
Wiggins has consistently said he came back because his family situation had stabilized, not necessarily to put it off until the playoffs. But he’s been smiling since returning to the team, and his teammates are smiling too. They’re 1-0 down but it was a good game and the Warriors felt good and were still in good spirits. Partly – or mainly – because this was the perfect time to welcome Wiggins back. Right at the start of another run that could go on for a long time.
“To be honest, I just came back because I felt my situation improved,” Wiggins said. “And I feel like it worked out perfectly. Because I don’t want to miss this moment.”
He could start in Game 2. He will surely get more moments to make a big shot or a gigantic defensive play. His teammates are counting on him, Wiggins relies on them, and everyone at the Warriors loves that they can all do it all over again.
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(Photo of Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney defending against Domantas Sabonis: Loren Elliott/Getty Images)