NBA: Warriors fight until the end to outlast the Pacers on the road
Indianapolis, Indiana - The Golden State Warriors bounced back on their Eastern Conference road trip to beat the Indiana Pacers in a Monday night thriller.
The Warriors sneaked by the Pacers 102-100 for their third win in the last four games.
And for Indiana, their three-game winning streak came to an end at the final buzzer.
History was a possibility for Golden State’s sharpshooter, Stephen Curry (33), but a win was more important than an all-time NBA record being broken.
The Pacers didn’t seem to care about a record either as they took control of one of the NBA’s best teams during the first half, outscoring the Warriors in both the first and second quarters to lead 55-47 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Golden State responded to cut their deficit to just four points as the action headed into the final period.
The Warriors defense took it up a notch to slow down the Pacers into scoring only 16 fourth-quarter points, which was just enough for a two-pointer that gave Golden State their first lead since late in the second quarter.
In the end, Indiana got sloppy with just over 13 seconds to go, losing the ball out of bounds and giving Golden State the win.
The player spotlight
Golden State’s best offensive weapon, Steph Curry, played a great game, leading his team to a close victory.
Much of the attention Monday night regarded the possibility of him breaking the NBA’s all-time three-point record.
Curry came into the game seven threes shy of the mark, 2,973 three-pointers made by Ray Allen, who set the mark over 18 seasons.
Instead, Curry still made use of his other high-level talents, including five points late in the fourth that helped his team inch closer to overtaking the lead before the final buzzer.
He finished the night shooting 8-for-20 overall, including 5-for-15 from behind the arc for 26 points, six rebounds, and six assists.
The big picture
The Warriors may not be invincible, as recent losses to the Spurs and the Sixers proved, are clearly still a force to be reckoned with, especially when they're able to show at least as much grit as they have style.
Winning on Monday night ensured that they have yet to lose back-to-back games so far this season.
Even so, the score was uncomfortably close because Golden State’s shooting let them down for once. Sure, Curry made five threes, but the rest of the team only made three additional shots altogether.
Curry’s go-to shot is as close to a points-guarantee as basketball has, but he can’t always be the only guy draining those long-range shots going forward.
On Tuesday, the Warriors continue their road trip against the Knicks while on Thursday, the Pacers will travel to take on the defending champion Bucks.
Cover photo: IMAGO/ZUMA Wire