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Warriors' Andrew Wiggins Says NBA Finals Game 6 Will Be 'Opportunity of a Lifetime'

Doric SamJune 14, 2022

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JUNE 13: Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Golden State Warriors dribbles the ball against the Boston Celtics during Game Five of the 2022 NBA Finals on June 13, 2022 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins helped lead the team to a 104-94 win over the Boston Celtics in Monday's Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

The Warriors will be taking a 3-2 lead into Boston for Thursday's Game 6, and Wiggins is relishing the chance to win the first championship of his career.

"I'm excited, it's the opportunity of a lifetime," Wiggins told ESPN's Lisa Salters. "Something that I've worked hard for, that this whole team has worked hard for, so I'm excited."

Wiggins put up 26 points and 13 rebounds for his second straight double-double in the series. He was aggressive in attacking the basket and also played some strong defense throughout Monday's game. It was the first time this season that he led the Warriors in both points and rebounds.

Wiggins punctuated his performance with a monster dunk that ignited the crowd.

Bleacher Report @BleacherReport

ANDREW WIGGINS.<br><br>GOODNIGHT.<br><br>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/warriors?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@warriors</a>)<a href="https://t.co/sp6l1pDWrJ">pic.twitter.com/sp6l1pDWrJ</a>

Golden State needed every bit of Wiggins' contributions on Monday. Warriors star point guard Stephen Curry was limited to 16 points and failed to hit a three-pointer in the entire game, ending his streak of 233 straight games with a triple. The team shot 9-of-40 (22.5 percent) from beyond the arc.

After being drafted No. 1 overall in 2014, Wiggins has largely fallen short of the expectations placed on him when he came out of Kansas. But the 27-year-old seems to have finally put it all together this season, which earned him his first career selection to the All-Star Game as a starter.

Wiggins is now averaging 18.4 points and 9.4 rebounds in the Finals. His defense on Boston's wing players has also been particularly impressive, as he's routinely been matched up against Celtics star Jayson Tatum.

If Wiggins can continue playing at a high level, it will not be a surprise to see the Warriors close out the series on Thursday.