Wiggins’ production is crucial for the Warriors to secure victory vs. Celtics

Wiggins’ production is crucial for the Warriors to secure victory vs. Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

After his most impressive performance of the season two nights ago, Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins may need another star turn to give his team a chance at victory on Monday afternoon.

The defending champion Boston Celtics (29-13) come to the Chase Center trying to overcome their recent inconsistency by beating a Golden State (21-20) team that could be without Stephen Curry.

Tipoff for the nationally televised (TNT) game is scheduled for 2:00 PM PT.

Wiggins produced a season-high 31 points, added 11 rebounds and four assists in leading the Warriors to a 121-113 win over the Washington Wizards Saturday at Chase. He also blocked two shots and had a steal. To put a finer point on his game, Wiggins anchored Golden State’s second-half comeback with 19 points, seven rebounds and both blocks – all in 17 minutes.

Wiggins will be the first line of defense against Celtics star Jayson Tatum, the closest thing to a barometer of their success. Boston is 5-4 since the calendar turned to the new year, with Tatum shooting a combined 57 of 120 (47.5 percent) in the wins and 24 of 66 (36.4 percent) in the losses.

Tatum ranks fifth in the NBA in scoring, averaging 27.7 points per game. game, but his 32-point effort against Golden State on Nov. 6 in Boston wasn’t enough to keep the Warriors from walking out of TD Garden with a 118-112 victory behind 27 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and four steals from Curry.

However, Curry is listed as questionable after spraining his left ankle late in the win over the Wizards. He’s also been dealing with lingering soreness in his right thumb that worsened earlier in the game.

Also missing from Golden State’s rotation are starting power forward Draymond Green (left calf strain) and key reserve forward Jonathan Kuminga (left ankle sprain), as well as reserve forward Kyle Anderson (left gluteal bursitis) and reserve guard Brandin Podziemski (right abdominal injury recovery).

Starting guard Dennis Schröder put up 20 points — his most since his Warriors debut on Dec. 19 — against Washington and appears to be finding his rhythm, but sixth man Buddy Hield continues to struggle with his shooting. Even if Curry is allowed to play, Wiggins’ offense remains important. If Curry can’t play, Wiggins’ production will be crucial.

The Warriors are looking for their first three-game winning streak since mid-November. They are also trying to sweep the Celtics for the first time since their 2014-15 championship season.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast