SAN FRANCISCO -- Andrew Wiggins let out an audible "oof" when reminded that he came into Saturday night going 14 straight games without scoring 20 points. The first-time NBA All-Star hadn't accomplished that feat since Jan. 31. Right as his career was reaching new heights, Wiggins' season was tumbling down the wrong direction.
Saturday night just might have been a turning point.
Wiggins broke the 20-point barrier in the Warriors' 122-109 win over the Milwaukee Bucks at Chase Center, finishing with 21 points.
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"I tried to be aggressive from the start," Wiggins said after the win. "I tried to get going defensively, hoping it would help me flow into offense. I think that helped a lot."
Lining up as the Warriors' power forward with Steve Kerr starting Jordan Poole alongside Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevon Looney and Wiggins, the 6-foot-7 wing began the game guarding center Bobby Portis. He spent time guarding a handful of Bucks and certainly played engaged on that side of the ball. Wiggins is tasked with being one of the Warriors' best defensive players on a nightly basis.
On Saturday night, he also was one of their best offensive players for the first time in a long time.
The Bucks made it their top priority to make sure they wouldn't lose at the hands of Curry. Coach Mike Budenholzer said before the game, "we're going to throw the kitchen sink" at Curry and they did. The two-time MVP scored a season-low eight points. Meanwhile, Poole, Thompson and Wiggins combined to score 89 points. Wiggins' 21 points were lost in the shuffle of Klay exploding for 38 and Poole dropping 30.
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It shouldn't go unrecognized what Wiggins did.
Following a February to forget, Wiggins wasn't doing any better in March. In six games, he was shooting 38.6 percent from the field, 32 percent from deep and 22.2 percent on free throws. Against the Bucks, he made half his shots from the field (8-for-16) and went 3-for-8 from 3-point range.
The most basic part of the game was becoming the most difficult for the former top draft pick. As a solid career free throw shooter, Wiggins looked like he had the yips, a mental breakdown at the line.
He was just 2-for-9 on his free throws this month and had missed six straight.
Wiggins kept working and Kerr, who made 86.4 percent of his free throws in his 15-year playing career, revealed in his pregame press conference that he and Wiggins spoke this week about his struggles with free throws. Kerr reminded Wiggins that everyone goes through a tough stretch from the charity stripe, and that even he did at times too.
"It's been tough," Wiggins said when asked how much his issues at the line has been weighing on him. "It's been tough. I'm not used to missing that many, that much.
"But just gotta keep working. I know I'm a good shooter, so I know it'll come back."
That hard work was put to the test just over six minutes into the game. Wiggins attacked Giannis Antetokounmpo, going hard to the hoop and forced him to commit his second foul of the night. He took two deep breaths as he approached the line for his first attempt -- swish. Wiggins drained his second attempt, which were his only free throws of the game.
It was the first time he was perfect on his free throws since nailing his only attempt on Feb. 10, and that Jan. 31 first when he last scored at least 20 points also was the last time he was perfect from the line when having to take multiple attempts.
"It felt good," Wiggins said of making the two free throws. "I feel like it helped me throughout the game. I was confident."
Thompson stole the show Saturday night in San Francisco. He also wants Warriors fans to hear him loud and clear when it comes to Wiggins.
"Andrew just needs to be Andrew," Klay said. "He's gonna be an All-Star for years to come. He's one of the best athletes I've ever played with and his ability to know down shots and play defense -- I mean, I just really appreciate having him on the team. He gives me a break on the defensive side of the ball. He can guard the best player and he can dunk on you. He's just an incredible, incredible player.
"I just hope all Warriors fans are grateful he's on our team, because he's gonna help us elevate to that next level."
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Wiggins' start to the season was a revelation, earning the nickname Two-Way Wiggs before looking like No-Way Wiggs for far too long after his All-Star Game selection. This win, this performance was a strong move in the right direction. And things could now get even better for Wiggins.
Nobody has missed Draymond Green, who is making his return Monday night against the Washington Wizards after a two-month absence, more than Wiggins. Thompson's return is a thing of the past, and he proved he still can be an offense's top option, even when he's seen as No. 2. Poole probably is the Warriors' third-most feared offensive player at this point, making Wiggins their fourth scoring option.
The Warriors will need the right amount of Wiggins to be champions. Here he was, showing us what that looks like -- just at the right time for this team.