Andrew Wiggins to return to starting lineup in Game 2
Monday will be Andrew Wiggins' second game since missing nearly two
months of NBA action to deal with a family matter.
>Golden State Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins dribbles against Sacramento
Kings’ De’Aaron Fox during Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round
playoffs, Saturday, April 15, 2023, at Golden One Arena in Sacramento,
Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
By MADELINE KENNEY | mkenney@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: April 17, 2023 at 6:17 p.m. | UPDATED: April 17, 2023 at 6:44
p.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2023/04/17/andrew-wiggins-to-return-to-starting-lineup-in-game-2-report/

SACRAMENTO — Andrew Wiggins will return to the starting lineup Monday
night for Game 2 of the Warriors’ first-round series against the Kings
after coming off the bench in Game 1.

For the first time since Feb. 4, Wiggins will start alongside Stephen
Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney. The five-man unit
is one of the best in the league, with the Warriors outscoring opponents
by a total of 145 points in the 331 minutes they’ve shared the court
this season.

Golden State has won eight out of its last 11 games that group has
started together.

Wiggins came off the bench for the first time in his entire nine-year
NBA career for Game 1 on Saturday and played under a minutes restriction
as he tested the waters after missing nearly two months of action for a
family matter. He played 28 minutes in Saturday’s loss, tallying 17
points, four blocks and three rebounds. His outside shot was shaky — he
went 1-for-8 from downtown and missed a go-ahead 3 in the fourth — but
he felt great overall.

“I thought I played pretty good. I was making my shots, creating for
others,” Wiggins said. “Every game is an adjustment, every playoff game
is different from the other.”

Wiggins was away from the team for seven weeks beginning Feb. 14. He
worked out on his own but was noticeably slimmer when he rejoined the
Warriors for the last week of the regular season.

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After two weeks of practice with the team, the performance staff gave
Wiggins the green light for Game 1 on Saturday.

Wiggins’ teammates were impressed by how little rust he exhibited in his
first game back after such a long layoff.

“He looked good out there, real springy,” Steph Curry said. “Everything
besides his 3-point shot was solid. I like the way he looked and I know
he’s going to continue to get better.”

--
Madeline Kenney | Warriors reporter
Madeline Kenney is the Bay Area News Group's Golden State Warriors beat
reporter for The Mercury News and East Bay Times. A Nebraska native, she
is graduate of Loyola University of Chicago. She holds a Bachelor in
Communication degree, with a major in broadcast journalism and minors in
sports management and marketing, and is a friend of Sister Jean, the
103-year-old nun who became famous during the Ramblers’ 2018 run to the
Final Four, Madeline previously worked for the Chicago Sun-Times
covering everything from sports to crime and politics. When she’s not
working, she enjoys trying new restaurants and exploring the great outdoors.