LOS ANGELES – While every available player got onto the court and scored in Golden State Warriors’ 127-104 National Basketball Association (NBA) victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, it was Andrew Wiggins who stood out.
The 28-year-old forward delivered 21 points and 10 rebounds at Wells Fargo Centre on Feb 7 to display the kind of form that propelled the Warriors to the NBA title in 2022.
“Without Wigs, we don’t win another championship in 2022. If we want to go where we want to go, he’s going to have to be that same Wigs that got us there a couple of years ago,” said teammate Klay Thompson.
Wiggins was pleased with his game after his second double-double of the season, saying: “It’s coming together. Tonight was a mindset of being aggressive.” But he was effusive in his praise of his teammates’ effort in routing the injury-hit 76ers.
Thompson and Jonathan Kuminga scored 18 points apiece and Lester Quinones added 13 for the Warriors, who led by as many as 30 points, their most in any game this season. Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry scored just nine points in 25 minutes.
“It’s a team effort. We’re all a factor offensively and defensively, getting into it, stuck to the game plan. Made plays for each other,” Wiggins said.
“Our shell was tight. Next man was helping the next man. We bring that kind of effort tomorrow, we’ll be fine.”
Golden State coach Steve Kerr was delighted with his team’s showing and felt they are poised for big things this season, even if the Warriors, who are 11th in the Western Conference and just outside a spot for the play-in tournament, did not make any major move ahead of the NBA trade deadline on Feb 8.
“I’m just really enjoying coaching this team. It’s a long haul. I feel like this group can do something special, I really do. If we don’t do anything tomorrow, we feel like we’ve got a good group and can push through,” he said.
The Warriors broke open the game by outscoring the Sixers 43-23 in the third quarter and won the first five points of the fourth quarter to take a commanding 96-68 lead.
Ricky Council IV caught a pass off the backboard and dunked to close Philadelphia within 106-87 with 5min 14sec remaining, but Golden State cruised the rest of the way to win back-to-back NBA road games for the first time since early November.
No Philadelphia player was able to reach double-figure scoring in the first half, and the 76ers combined to shoot a mere two of 14 from three-point range.
Council led the 76ers with 17 points, while K.J. Martin scored 15 and Patrick Beverley and Tobias Harris each added 13.
Tyrese Maxey, who was doubtful for the contest with an illness, scored 12 points as the Sixers (30-20) suffered their seventh loss in eight games, while the Warriors (23-25) took their fourth victory in five contests.
The Sixers, without reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid for at least four weeks after left knee surgery on Tuesday, are 4-12 this season without the Cameroonian star.
Nicolas Batum (hamstring), Robert Covington (knee) and De’Anthony Melton (back) were also among those out.
“We need to get a little bit more of the firepower back,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said.
“Then the guys who are there need to be feeling a little closer to 100 per cent, too.
“Again, we’ve got some guys going out there and they’re semi-sick and pretty sick and they’re not 100 per cent. They’re trying.”
Over at TD Garden, Kristaps Porzingis scored a game-high 31 points to spark the NBA-leading Boston Celtics over the visiting Atlanta Hawks 125-117.
The 2.18m Latvian forward connected on 13 of 19 shots from the floor, while Derrick White added 21 points and Jayson Tatum had 20 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for Eastern Conference leaders Boston, who rose to 39-12.
The Celtics took their largest lead of the game when Tatum made a lay-up to put Boston up 111-98 with 7min 23sec to play. Atlanta were within five points, 120-115, after Bogdan Bogdanovic hit a three-pointer with 1min 17sec left, but Porzingis sealed the win with a trey that gave the Celtics an eight-point lead with 19.1 seconds to play.
Saddiq Bey led the Hawks with 25 points. Trae Young finished with 20 points and 10 assists, and Jalen Johnson added 19 points and 15 rebounds. Onyeka Okongwu had 19 points and 10 rebounds.
AFP, REUTERS
