Former No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins' (Toronto, ON) athleticism was on full display when he delivered the Canadian moment of the week in the Timberwolves narrow win over the Pelicans Wednesday night.
With the Wolves leading by four with under two minutes remaining, Wiggins initiated the break after a big block by fellow former No. 1 overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns, and the duo wasn't done just yet.
Once Wiggins crossed half court, he found Towns on the wing before escaping All-Defensive First Teamer Jrue Holiday with an aggressive backdoor cut. Towns fed the cutting Wiggins, who was met by Nikola Mirotic, New Orleans' last line of defence. The 23-year-old Toronto native proceeded to elevate and slam over Mirotic, drawing a foul in the process.
Wiggins would go on to sink the free throw to give the Wolves a seven-point lead, essentially putting the game out of reach for the Pelicans. He finished the night having stuffed the stat sheet with 23 points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block.
After a rocky 4-9 start to the 2018-19 season, Minnesota has won three of its last four games in the past week after parting ways with disgruntled All-Star Jimmy Butler.
Wiggins, who is averaging 17.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting a career-high 40.3 percent on 5.5 attempts from deep, delivered two 23-point performances over the four-game stretch.
While the Timberwolves' 7-10 record is the second-worst in the Western Conference, the team is just 2.5 games behind the eighth-place Lakers, and the Wolves are trending upward thanks largely in part to the play of Wiggins and Towns.
As Minnesota works to incorporate new additions Jerryd Bayless, Robert Covington and Dario Saric, it would appear that things could click for the team at just the right time. One thing is for sure: The aggression displayed by Wiggins in this week's best moment can allow this team to reach new heights.