Andrew Wiggins vs. Lakers: Stats, Highlights and Twitter Reaction
Andrew Wiggins' emergence as a superstar continued Sunday, as the 2014 No. 1 overall pick set a new career high with 47 points in the Minnesota Timberwolves' 125-99 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
In his third NBA season, Wiggins is off to the best start of his career. The 21-year-old entered Sunday's game averaging 23.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 45.2 percent from the field.
When Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau removed Wiggins from the game late in the fourth quarter, the crowd in Minnesota was appreciative of his effort, per Fox Sports North:
Wiggins became the 13th player in Timberwolves history to reach the 40-point mark in a game, joining a talented group, per Basketball-Reference.com (via the Timberwolves' PR staff):
Wiggins also made history for his home country with his 47 points, per Sportsnet Stats:
Canadians do not have a storied history in the NBA. Steve Nash is from Canada but was born in South Africa. His career high for points in a game was 48, but he accomplished that feat in a playoff game against the Dallas Mavericks in 2005.
No matter how you want to say it, Wiggins' performance against the Lakers was one for the record book.
Zach Harper of CBS Sports came up with a new nickname for Wiggins following his outburst:
Josh Eberley of Hoop magazine didn't have a catchy nickname for Wiggins, but he noted the 21-year-old's star is shining as bright as a perennial All-Star's was at the same age:
Wiggins is fulfilling the promise that made him the top overall pick. He also took on the heavy burden of being the face of the franchise as a teenager when the Timberwolves acquired him from the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of a three-team deal that included Kevin Love.
The Timberwolves have added tremendous talent around Wiggins, including Karl-Anthony Towns. The young team is still trying to find its identity with a 3-6 record in the difficult Western Conference, but Wiggins has been an excellent building block.
