SAN FRANCISCO – Luka Dončić was on track for another big game and stole the show in Klay Thompson‘s return to the Bay Area before Andrew Wiggins stepped in and squashed just about everything Dončić attempted in the fourth quarter.
Dončić, who dropped 31 points in 29 minutes in the first three quarters, got bubkes when it mattered most. Wiggins held the Dallas superstar scoreless for nearly 12 minutes, preventing the Mavs from rallying late in Golden State’s 120-117 victory at Chase Center.
It wasn’t just the fourth quarter either. Doncic definitely got his, but Wiggins forced the five-time All-Star to shoot 2 of 10 from behind the arc.
“Wiggs was awesome,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “I just think there has to be a cumulative effect on Luka. You can’t stop him, he shoots so much. You just have to try to make things difficult.
“He played 41 minutes, Wiggs was all over him. And I thought maybe that affected the 3-point shot a little bit. He’s such a phenomenal player, but you’re making it difficult. I thought that’s what Wiggs did.
On the heels of his impressive defensive stint against Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics last week, Wiggins once again stepped up and did a good job of preventing Dončić from really taking over.
“He’s tough. He’s as tough as they come,” Wiggins said. “The ball is in his hands the whole game. You know he’s going to shoot the ball. Every time he drives, he’ll take his chances.
It was Dončić’s worst 3-point shooting game since he went 1-of-9 and then 1-of-8 in back-to-back games in late October.
“I just kept making it difficult for him, that’s all I can do,” Wiggins told NBC Sports Bay Area after the game. “Sometimes you can’t be too physical because the refs won’t let you play and you just have to understand the game. I felt like they were calling a lot of things today, so I just tried to stay strong and make it difficult for him. I knew my guys had my back.
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