According to Rogers Sportsnet on Monday, Golden State Warriors small forward Andrew Wiggins of Toronto, Ontario set the record for the most points scored by a Canadian in a National Basketball Association Finals game. In the Warriors’ 104-94 win over the Boston Celtics at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, Wiggins had 26 points. With the win, the Warriors took a three games to two lead in the best out of seven series.
Wiggins broke the record previously set by center Kelly Olynyk of Toronto, Ontario. Olynyk, who currently plays for the Detroit Pistons, but played for the Miami Heat at the time, had 24 points in a 124-114 Heat loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on October 2, 2020 in game two of the 2020 NBA Finals.
On Monday, Wiggins made 12 of 23 field goals and two of three free throws. He also collected his second consecutive double-double of the series. In game four Wiggins had 13 rebounds. In game three, Wiggins had 17 points and a career-high 16 rebounds in a 107-97 Golden State win.
Wiggins is also being praised for having a clean slate. According to CBS Sports, Wiggins became the fifth player in NBA history to have a minimum of 25 points, 12 rebounds and zero turnovers in a NBA Finals game. He follows Elvin Hayes of the Washington Bullets (1978), Shaquille O’Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers (2000), Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics (2008), and Kawhi Leonard of the Toronto Raptors (2019).
