Warriors vs. Kings Game 1: Andrew Wiggins to come off bench for first
time in career
Golden State Warriors' and Sacramento Kings starting lineups for Game 1
>Golden State Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins goes over game notes before Game
1 of the Western Conference First Round playoffs against the Sacramento
Kings in Golden One Arena, Saturday, April 15, 2023, in Sacramento,
Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
By SHAYNA RUBIN | srubin@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: April 15, 2023 at 5:20 p.m. | UPDATED: April 15, 2023 at 6:57
p.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2023/04/15/warriors-vs-kings-game-1-andrew-wiggins-to-come-off-bench-for-first-time-in-career/

SACRAMENTO — In his anticipated return to the court after an extended
absence, Andrew Wiggins came off the bench for Game 1 of the Warriors’
first-round playoff series against the Sacramento Kings.

Wiggins didn’t start in a game for the first time in his NBA career and
said after the team’s Friday practice he’s “not sure” what to expect in
an unfamiliar role.

“It’d be different,” Wiggins said. “Haven’t done that since being in the
NBA, but I’m down for whatever helps the team and whatever we need.”

He checked in with 6:21 remaining in the first quarter, the Warriors up
15-14 as both teams were feeling each other out early.

Wiggins’ first shot, a 3-pointer, was blocked by Kevin Huerter. He got
his first offensive rebound soon after and, after a timeout, hit his
first jumper. He finished the first quarter with six points — his
teammates looking actively to get him engaged — a rebound and a block on
Davion Mitchell’s running layup.

He checked back in with seven minutes remaining in the second quarter
locked in on defense, coming up with a handful of stops. He scored an
additional six points, finding his rhythm on a couple more jumpers and
second-chance points. He finished the half with 14 minutes at a
plus-four and three blocks and three rebounds. The Warriors entered the
half up 61-55.

The Warriors brought Steph Curry off the bench for the first four games
last season for their first-round series against the Denver Nuggets. It
paid off, as he averaged 27.5 points and the Warriors won the series in
five games.

The Kings didn’t change their preparation for a potentially rusty
Wiggins. Questions surround Wiggins’ conditioning after missing 22
games, his last on Feb. 13.

“It doesn’t (change anything),” Kings head coach Mike Brown said.
“You’re talking about a team that has championship experience so they
know what it’s like to go through anything and everything, adversity, at
the highest level. Yes, he was out. But we’re not going to expect him to
be rusty. We’re not going to expect anything less than what he can bring
to the table and what he’s done this year which is shoot the ball
unbelievably well.”

Brown, a longtime Warriors assistant before he took the Kings head
coaching job after the Warriors’ title last season, touted Wiggins’
athleticism.

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“He helped us win a championship last year with his ability to offensive
rebound and defend different players night in and night out,” Brown
said. “So we expect him ready to come play.”

The Warriors will use the same starting lineup they’ve mostly trotted
out since Wiggins’ absence began:

Steph Curry

Klay Thompson

Donte DiVincenzo

Draymond Green

Kevon Looney

The Kings start:

De’Aaron Fox

Kevin Huerter

Harrison Barnes

Keegan Murray

Domantas Sabonis

--
Shayna Rubin | General Assignment Sports Reporter
Shayna Rubin is a Bay Area News Group sports reporter for The Mercury
News and East Bay Times. She covered the Oakland A's from 2019 to 2021
and, most recently, the Golden State Warriors' championship run in 2022.
Shayna is a San Francisco native. She is a graduate of San Francisco
State University with a BA degree in journalism and a MA degree in
broadcasting and electronic communication arts.