What we discovered when the short-handed Warriors fall to the red-hot Pacers initially appeared on NBC Sports activities Bay Space
There was little question concerning the coronary heart and vitality the Warriors had Friday evening of their 108-96 loss to the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Generally shedding six gamers is simply an excessive amount of to beat.
The Warriors have been with out Steph Curry, Draymond Inexperienced, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Grey Payton II and Brandin Podziemski. The depth was past all trials.
Buddy Hield scored a team-high 17 factors on 6-of-19 taking pictures and 3-of-12 from 3-point vary. Teammate Dennis Schroder gave Golden State simply 12 factors on 5-of-13 taking pictures whereas solely considered one of his six 3-point makes an attempt was profitable.
Maybe the most important vibrant spot was Pat Spencer, a two-way participant who tied Hield for the crew’s scoring lead by dropping 17 factors.
The Warriors (19-19) and Pacers (21-18) struggled to shoot, however the Pacers made 5 extra pictures regardless of eight fewer makes an attempt.
Listed below are three takeaways from the Warriors’ 12-point loss to the Pacers.
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If Thursday evening it was Gui SantosSpencer took over early Friday evening. Spencer served because the Warriors’ backup level guard with Curry out and performed admirable guard with the ball in his arms each time he bought the prospect. Uncommon is he a primary scorer.
However on an evening when the Warriors have been shorthanded, they wanted factors from everybody, together with Spencer. His seven factors within the first quarter alone gave him a brand new profession excessive. Spencer was down by 9 factors at halftime, and 4 extra introduced him to 13 via three quarters.
As a part of his unforgettable evening, Spencer scored a 3-pointer for the primary time in his NBA profession.
And he wasn’t the one one among the many former and present Santa Cruz Warriors doing their finest on a much bigger stage. Santos adopted his spectacular efficiency by posting a team-high plus-9 in 23 minutes coming off the bench. Santos scored 11 factors, two shy of his profession excessive from the earlier evening, and in addition had three assists and three steals.
Quinten Publish, the Warriors’ lone decide within the 2024 NBA Draft at No. 52 total, was referred to as up from the G League and scored six factors in six minutes. That equates to an NBA profession excessive, and he, too, made his first three in a Warriors jersey.
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It is no secret or shock what the Warriors’ bread and butter is offensively. They reside and die on the 3-point line, however the latter is more likely than the previous when Curry and Co. aren’t on the court docket. Hield and Schroder going ice chilly from there did not assist both.
However the Warriors, whether or not at full power or shorthanded, have to make the little issues simpler.
They common the fewest factors per sport, at a modest 19.5 firstly of the night. A part of it’s fashion. One other half is how typically the Warriors fail to make layups.
An extended Mikan Drill session is lengthy overdue. The Warriors missed 15 pictures that certified as layups. A number of have been blocked, and a handful of others across the basket shook as properly. This crew’s mixture of giving up the ball, layups, and missed free throws is way too typically a recipe for catastrophe.
What’s left of the street journey?
Throughout the Warriors’ four-game street journey, the purpose has at all times been to separate no less than their first two video games – a back-to-back at Detroit and Indiana. Mission achieved.
The Warriors have been anticipated to be with out Curry and Inexperienced for half of the back-to-back sport. Inexperienced wasn’t going to overlook his return to the Motor Metropolis, and after taking part in 36 minutes Thursday evening, it was clear that Curry could be subjected to road garments on the sidelines. It was unimaginable to foretell that Wiggins would stroll away from the crew and return to the Bay Space for private causes.
Now the Warriors are again to .500 this season with video games in opposition to the Raptors in Toronto and the Timberwolves in Minnesota. The Timberwolves beat the Orlando Magic on Thursday, the identical evening the Raptors misplaced to the Cleveland Cavaliers, however each groups had Friday off.
Subsequent Monday would be the Warriors’ first sport in opposition to the Raptors this season, a crew at the moment on a four-game shedding streak and who has simply three wins since Dec. 1. Monday might additionally mark the return of Payton and Podziemski from accidents. If it is not Monday, there is a good likelihood the 2 will face the Timberwolves on Wednesday.
Curry and Inexperienced needs to be out there for each video games. Wednesday can even be the Warriors’ fourth and remaining sport in opposition to the Timberwolves, having overwhelmed them twice of their first three matchups. Coming dwelling at all times at .500 no less than is a should. Being a sport over could be essential earlier than welcoming Jordan Poole and the Washington Wizards to Chase Middle.
