When it comes to attention, rookie Andrew Wiggins is no stranger. He dealt with it this summer, but that was attention he couldn’t control.
The attention he’s received lately has to do everything with him, and it’s for his play on the court. The Rookie of the Year leader continued that on Friday night at the Barclays Center as he took home the Rising Stars Challenge MVP Award after putting up 22 points, six rebounds and four assists in a 121-112 win over the USA Team.
Wiggins looked pretty natural throughout the whole game, something he’s done all season long.
Well, he may have had a few dunks that he wouldn’t have gotten away with in a real game, but the majority of his 22 points came in the flow of the game. He shot 8-of-11 from the field, 1-of-4 from deep and a perfect 5-of-5 from the free-throw line.
Afterwards, though, it was all about how special it was for him to play with three of his teammates. Gorgui Dieng joined him on the World Team, while Zach LaVine and Shabazz Muhammad faced off against him.
“It was great seeing all my teammates on the court,” Wiggins said. “I loved every second of it. It shows the promise and success that our organization will have in the future.”
Wiggins wasn’t the only Timberwolves player to have success in this one. Heck, if the US would have won, LaVine probably would have won the award.
LaVine finished with 22 points and four assists. He was tied with Victor Oladipo for most points for the USA squad. Shabazz Muhammad added 10 points and five rebounds. Dieng finished with 14 points and four rebounds off the bench for the World Team.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” LaVine said about playing with his teammates. “Now coming here all at once, it’s been a lot of fun bonding and hanging with the guys.”