The Brooklyn Nets routed the Golden State Warriors in second half of a back-to-back Wednesday night, though there was a sizable positive the Dubs were able to take away from the 30-point loss.
Center James Wiseman, who has been back and forth between the G League and the NBA this season, exploded against the Nets to the tune of 30 points on 12-of-14 shooting, six rebounds, two assists and a block in approximately 28 minutes of playing time off the bench. He had been averaging just 5.9 points and 3.5 rebounds in 12.5 minutes of floor time across 15 appearances this season before breaking out against Brooklyn.
The NBCS Warriors account posted video on Twitter of the big man’s comments following the best performance of his tumultuous three-year career.
James Wiseman discusses tonight’s game and his development
“I was in the G [League] for like a whole month just getting my reps in and stuff, so just to be able to be blessed to come back here … and just to be able to get the reps in, like in the league, it’s a great feeling to have, even though we got beat. But it’s cool, though,” Wiseman said.
When asked for the key to his success Wednesday night, the center noted an emphasis on making himself a “presence” in the paint.
“Just being aggressive,” Wiseman said. “Just being demanding, especially in the post. Actually calling for [the ball] and just being more of a presence.”
Steve Kerr Calls Wiseman’s Game ‘Small Consolation’ in Huge Defeat
GettyCenter James Wiseman (left) and head coach Steve Kerr (right) of the Golden State Warriors.
Dubs head coach Steve Kerr was complimentary of Wiseman’s effort following the game, referring to it as “efficient” and expressing his happiness at seeing the center succeed.
However, he also downplayed the meaningfulness of the big man’s performance in the context of the 30-point defeat to a Nets team without Kyrie Irving. The game marked the Warriors’ fifth loss to end a disastrous six-game road trip.
“James did a great job tonight,” Kerr said. “It was fun to see him kinda let loose and get some minutes and make the most of it. [He] did a lot of good things offensively.”
“I thought [in] the second half, our young guys were much better than they were last night in New York,” Kerr continued. “That was encouraging. But you lose by 30 — it’s small consolation.”
Second-year guard Moses Moody and rookie forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. each put up 17 points in the loss, a career-high for the latter.
Injury-Ravaged Warriors Struggling Mightily Down 2 Starters
GettyGolden State Warriors star Steph Curry suffers an injury during a game against the Indiana Pacers.
In Golden State’s defense, they played the Nets at the end of a road trip and on the second game of a back-to-back without starters Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins.
Wiggins has been out since December 3 with an adductor strain and is expected to miss more time. Curry was subsequently lost on December 14 to a shoulder injury and is expected to miss several weeks. The Dubs coaching staff held Thompson out, which has been standard practice for the shooting guard on the second half of back-to-backs.
The Warriors are now 15-18, including a league-worst 3-16 record on the road. If the playoffs began today, Golden State would miss the NBA Play-In Tournament as the No. 11 seed in the Western Conference, currently 1.5 games back of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
While Wiseman’s role on the roster remains murky moving forward, Golden State must get quality production from its young corps of players if the team hopes to stay in the hunt while Curry and Wiggins get healthy.
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Warriors’ James Wiseman Sounds Off After Career Night