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Brandon Ingram #14 of the New Orleans Pelicans guards Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Golden State Warriors in the first half at Chase Center.
THE Warriors of the Golden State won their second consecutive victory without Andrew Wiggins as they head to their home country of Canada to take on the Toronto Raptors this Friday, March 1 at Scotiabank Arena.
There is still no timetable for Wiggins’ return as Shams Charania of The Athletic revealed the reason for his abrupt but excused absence from the team.
“I’m told Andrew Wiggins is dealing with and dealing with a serious family matter right now, and the Warriors are giving him his space, they’re giving him his time,” Charania reported on “Run It Back” on FanDuel TV on March 1. “We expect, Steve Kerr has spoken about it, that Andrew Wiggins will return at some point this season. They are optimistic about it. But they also understand that he’s going through this process. We certainly wish him and his family the best in handling this situation.
After remaining with the Warriors after the trade deadline, Wiggins found his rhythm after his early season struggles forced Kerr to bench him.
In his last 8 games since the February 8 trade deadline, Wiggins has averaged 14.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting 51.7% from the field and 48 .5% from the 3-point line, thus consolidating his return to the starting lineup.
With Wiggins out, third-year winger Moses Moody seized the opportunity.
Moody, 21, has averaged 10.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals since replacing Wiggins in the starting lineup in its last two wins.
Moody’s defense of All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson (27 points on 11-of-25 shooting) helped the Warriors earn their seventh straight road victory Thursday night to finish February with an 11- 3.
Warriors honor Andrew Wiggins’ privacy request
Kerr said the Warriors honored Wiggin’s wishes.
“We expect him to return, but we don’t know exactly when,” Kerr said on 95.7 The Game on Wednesday, February 28. “We are in a position where [Wiggins] is a private person and has been asked to keep it private and we will honor that. So it doesn’t help me to sit here and try to explain all this. Ultimately, we respect Wiggs, we need him, and we fully expect him to return, but we just don’t know when that will be.
Wiggins also missed two months last season for undisclosed personal reasons. He was the subject of trade rumors early in the season due to his struggles.
Wiggins also missed two months last season for undisclosed personal reasons that Charania later revealed included his father, Mitchell Wiggins, falling ill with a serious medical issue.
The Warriors submitted trade offers for Wiggins before the trade deadline, “but nothing made them jump,” according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Steph Curry breaks snap shooting slump
After going 8-for-37 from deep in his last three games, the Warriors superstar Stephen Curry finally came out of his shooting crisis at Madison Square Garden, the birthplace of his legendary rise to stardom.
Curry made his first three 3-pointers en route to a game-high 31 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Warriors against the short-handed Knicks.
“It’s always fun, like it’s a special place” Curry told reporters after hitting 8 of 18 3-pointers against the Knicks. “There’s just a different energy every time you come to town in the building. Honestly, I think it helped us get off to that 20-4 start.
They actually jumped out to a 14-0 lead and never looked back. After two quarters, Curry already had 17 points and 10 rebounds for his second career double-double at halftime.
Alder Almo is a basketball reporter who covers the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors for Heavy. He has over 15 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is originally from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. Learn more about Alder Almo
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