We were expecting Jalen Brunson or Karl-Anthony Towns on the Knicks side, and of course Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at the Thunder, but it's amazing Aaron Wiggins which flew over the last quarter of the shock of the evening. Coming off the bench, the winger scored 19 points, including 15 in the last quarter. His 3-pointers, almost all from the same place, stunned the Knicks. And he punctuated his performance with a muscular And-1 against Josh Hart. On arrival, OKC won this last quarter 37-19 to overthrow New York, and above all a 14th victory in a row.
“It was a great feeling. The energy is quite strong, very contagious” testifies Wiggins about his heat stroke, before evaluating this performance in his career. “Probably top 10, maybe top 5. I had some good moments, but this one was important. It felt really good. I don't know exactly where I would place it, but I savor these moments. »
A “3-and-D” with no guarantee of play
Consistent since the start of his career, Wiggins appreciated this performance all the more because he performed it in front of his family, who were visiting OKC to celebrate his 26th birthday with him. “It’s super unique, between New Year’s Day, my mother’s birthday and mine” he continues. “It’s been three fun days in a row, and having my family here makes it even better.” »
Despite this status as the X factor of the evening's shock, the former Maryland player is aware that he will have to earn his minutes every evening. “It’s a challenge, but a challenge that will make me grow and improve” he responds about his irregular playing time. “I continue to trust my journey and the process. We have a great group of guys, we win a lot of games, so I can't ask for anything more. The important thing is to have fun with a good group and win. This kind of evening doesn't make things any different. It’s just another evening…. If I hadn't scored those 3 points, I might have been replaced. You never know how the evening will turn out. You just try to find a balance and not get frustrated, whether you play 5 minutes or 30 minutes. »
| Aaron Wiggins | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2021-22 | OKC | 50 | 24 | 46.3 | 30.4 | 72.9 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 3.6 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 8.3 |
| 2022-23 | OKC | 70 | 19 | 51.2 | 39.3 | 83.1 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 1.1 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 6.8 |
| 2023-24 | OKC | 78 | 16 | 56.2 | 49.2 | 78.9 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 6.9 |
| 2024-25 | OKC | 33 | 20 | 45.4 | 37.8 | 83.3 | 0.9 | 2.3 | 3.2 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 8.9 |
| Total | 231 | 19 | 50.3 | 39.0 | 78.5 | 0.9 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 7.5 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
