INDIANAPOLIS – Every part lined up for a straightforward Warriors victory on Saturday evening at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
To name Indianapolis, coming off a Finals look, injury-riddled was an understatement. Six Pacers gamers have been dominated out with numerous illnesses earlier than the sport, amongst them All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton, who is probably going out for the season after tearing his Achilles within the Finals.
And but, simply because the Warriors had finished in Thursday’s loss in Milwaukee, Golden State let a depleted crew from the Midwest hold round and, ultimately, pull off the double-digit fourth-quarter comeback in a 114-109 upset.
Quenton Jackson buried a triple with 35 seconds remaining to present the Pacers a lead they’d not relinquish, after which he padded it with a fadeaway financial institution shot.
“We didn’t execute on offense, we didn’t execute on defense, we fouled, we turned it over,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr mentioned. “We didn’t deserve to win.”
Indiana gained its first recreation in six tries regardless of Jimmy Butler’s 20 factors and a dunk that tied the sport at 109-all with a minute left.
The Pacers might have been lacking half of their roster, however the residence crew nonetheless had a core of Pascal Siakam and Aaron Nesmith working the present, two of their stars of final 12 months’s playoff run. They mixed for 58 factors as Nesmith had 31 and Siakam 27.
After falling behind by as a lot as six within the third, a unusual Warriors lineup of Gui Santos, Al Horford, Buddy Hield, Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody helped minimize the deficit to only one earlier than Butler’s two free throws supplied a short lead.
“That group …. they really flipped the game for us,” Kerr mentioned. “It’s a shame we couldn’t close out the game for them.”
Butler scored seven factors within the remaining three minutes of the third quarter – off three free throws, a midrange jumper and a reverse layup – to assist in giving the Warriors an 88-82 lead going into the fourth quarter.
That benefit stretched to as a lot as 104-93 with six minutes left after a Steph Curry triple. However Indiana simply wouldn’t die. Nesmith and Jackson fueled a 9-0 run over the following three minutes.
Steph Curry scored 24 on 8 of 23 taking pictures, with 18 of these factors coming within the first half. Podziemski added 16.
The Warriors (4-3) will return to motion at Chase Middle towards the Suns on Tuesday.
“Nothing’s easy in the NBA, and everybody has got their tough schedules,” Kerr mentioned. “You have to find a way to execute when you’re not at your best, and we did not do that.”
Kuminga guidelines the skies
Jonathan Kuminga jammed 4 thunderous dunks towards Indiana – the perfect being a baseline blow-by off a rocker step to tie the sport at 67 within the third – however that was simply the beginning of his high-flying highlights.
The now-entrenched starter repeatedly threw himself into the center of the Pacers’ less-than-intimidating inside protection. He gave the struggling Warriors offense a much-needed jolt of life within the third quarter and completed with 17 factors general.
TJD’s quiet homecoming
Warriors massive man Trayce Jackson-Davis returned to his residence state, the place the Hoosier was a celebrity at Middle Grove Excessive and later Indiana College.
However as has usually been the case this season, Jackson-Davis discovered no taking part in time in a crowded big-man rotation. He didn’t log a single minute towards his hometown Pacers.
Pacers assistant coach Lloyd Pierce additionally confronted his hometown crew.
