The Golden State Warriors got good prior to game one of the 2023 NBA Playoffs as it was announced that Andrew Wiggins was going to play.
In the first half Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole came off the bench and provided a much-needed spark for a Warriors team that struggled on the road throughout the regular season. The two combined for 25 points on nine of 15 shooting.
At halftime Golden State led Sacramento by six. In the third the Warriors managed to stretch their lead to 10. Yet it did not last long as the Kings went on a run and took a one point lead. Neither team went on any sustained run and the game remained close to the end.
Much like the regular season, the Warriors did not do enough to win in the closing seconds.
So what happened? After Thompson rebounded a miss by De’Aaron Fox with 18.8 second left in the game and with Golden State trailing by one, Wiggins elects to take a three instead of driving to the hoop. The shot is missed, Malik Monk is then fouled with 2.9 seconds left, he makes both.
Stephen Curry misses a three to tie the game and the Warriors let game one slip away.
Now the question becomes what kind of adjustments will Steve Kerr make in game two? Which is now a must win. Golden State shot 16 for 50 from three and 27 of 40 from two-point range, which shows that Sacramento does not necessarily have protection at the rim.
As for Wiggins and Poole, the duo cooled off significantly combining to make only two of 11 shots in the second half and scored only nine total points. Overall the two combined to make three of 13 three-point attempts, and missed a total of three free throws.
If the Warriors are going to take game two, Wiggins and Poole need to shoot better and have the same aggression in the second half as the first half.