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Stephen A. Smith reserved high praise for Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins after he dropped 26 points in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. The 27-year-old scored 16 points in the first half and continued his brilliance in the second to lead the Dubs to a 104-94 win.
Andrew Wiggins also managed to grab 13 rebounds and two steals on the night. He was also terrific on the defensive end, where he made things extremely difficult for Jayson Tatum.
Stephen A. Smith heaped praise on the Golden State Warriors forward's performance and also named him the MVP of the game. Speaking about the 27-year-old on the ESPN show "Sports Center," he said:
"Andrew Wiggins stepped up and he's gonna erase memories of him being the number one overall pick and being in Minnesota and being relatively pedestrian. He was aggressive tonight, he was looking for a shot, he recognised Steph Curry didn't have his and as a result he really really stepped up and handled his business on both ends of the floor."
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Andrew Wiggins has been brilliant throughout the NBA playoffs. However, his performances in the Finals have been more notable due to his consistent contributions on both ends of the floor for the Dubs.
In Game 5, Jayson Tatum was looking like his true self until the third quarter. The 24-year-old was shooting well and was on course to have a good night. But things turned around in the fourth quarter as Andrew Wiggins started guarding him tighter.
Speaking further about Wiggins' performance on the night, Smith said:
"Was [Andrew Wiggins] 12-23 from the field, ending up with 26 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, embracing the toughest assignment which was Jayson Tatum and contributing to holding JT to five points in the fourth quarter and 1-5 shooting, so you can't say enough about the job that Andrew Wiggins did tonight. "
He added:
"He was clearly the MVP of this game."
Going into Game 6, the Golden State Warriors have a chance to close out the series on the road. Andrew Wiggins might have to continue his good form there and help the team out one more time if they are to come out successful.
Can the Golden State Warriors win Game 6 and clinch the championship?
The Golden State Warriors have shown great character after going 2-1 down to lead the series 3-2. Steph Curry has been on the top of his game throughout the Finals. However, the likes of Klay Thompson, Kevon Looney and Andrew Wiggins have also been terrific in the last two games for the Warriors.
Going into Boston with a 3-2 lead, the advantage is now with the Dubs as they have a series lead and momentum in their favor. The Celtics did not lose back-to-back playoff games until the Warriors defeated them in Games 4 and 5. They tried their level best to make a comeback in Game 5, but the Dubs were too determined to lose the game on the night.
With a chance to grab a championship in Game 6, the Warriors will be high on confidence as they head to Boston. Although the Celtics will try to bring everything they have into that encounter, it will be difficult to get the better of this Dubs team.
They have the experience of playing in such high-octane games and will be banking on that to clinch their seventh championship in franchise history.
