Andrew Wiggins could well be in his final days as a member of the Golden State Warriors, but rising trade speculation hasn't stopped the 2022 All-Star from delivering a team-high 25 points in his team's much needed 104-99 win over the Orlando Magic at Chase Center on Monday night.
As reports earlier on Monday suggest the Warriors are pursuing a host of big names including Kevin Durant and LeBron James, Wiggins remained aggressive in getting to the free-throw line 15 times in the five-point win.
Andrew Wiggins made a statement in an important Warriors victory
Both teams struggled in a defensive-minded first-half that culminated in a 43-43 scoreline, yet the Warriors continued their momentum from late in the second-quarter to start the third on an 18-6 run.
Golden State found themselves up by 15 entering the final period, but as has become the case consistently throughout the season, they fell apart for a period as Franz Wagner led a strong Orlando comeback.
The young forward had 14 fourth-quarter points to help the Magic into a two-point lead with four minutes remaining, only for the Warriors to steady and finish the game on a 14-7 run that pushes them back above .500 on the season.
Wiggins' 25 points came on 7-of-14 shooting from the floor and 10-of-15 from the charity striple, while the Canadian also finished as an equal team-high +15 in 35 minutes. Moses Moody was also huge for Golden State and closed the game, hitting a big corner three in the final 90 seconds as part of 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field includiong 3-of-5 from 3-point range.
Everyone gets a touch before the bucket 🤝 pic.twitter.com/46rmHWGoTT
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) February 4, 2025
Draymond Green was back in the lineup after a seven-game injury absence, with the veteran forward getting better as the game wore on which included some big defensive stops and a tough running hook in the closing minutes.
Green had four points, seven rebounds and five assists in 29 minutes, while fellow franchise legend Stephen Curry had 24 points but shot just 2-of-12 from beyond the arc in another rough shooting display.
It was ultimately the Golden State defense that got the job done, having kept Orlando to 43.4% shooting from the floor and 25% (8-of-32) from 3-point range. Magic star Paolo Banchero was limited to just 9-of-24 shooting and finished as a game-worst -24 in his team's ninth loss in the past 10 games.
The Warriors are back to within half a game of the Dallas Mavericks for the ninth-seed, and are three games back from the L.A. Clippers as the sixth-seed. They'll head for a road back-to-back against the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday and Thursday, but even more focus will be on what happens with the roster over those two days.