Pacers remain hot on the road with meaningful win over Warriors
The Pacers sit alone in 6th in the East after the win with a back-to-back in Los Angeles looming.
The Pacers delivered a meaningful win in more ways than one on Friday night when they beat the Warriors, 123-111 for their fifth consecutive road win.
The second half of this game was simply a joy to watch for Pacers fans as the blue and gold seized control of the game midway through the third quarter, wearing out the Dubs with a strong defensive effort. That effort is mandatory in the NBA these days with the amount of physical play that is now allowed. The Pacers were certainly the aggressors in the second half, forcing 11 GSW turnovers with 6 steals an 6 blocks.
Speaking of blocks, one of the ways this game was meaningful was because Myles Turner’s third quarter block of Jonathan Kuminga gave big No. 33 the franchise record, passing Jermaine O’Neal. The milestone block was also meaningful in the flow of the game. Pascal Siakam had just tied the game at 70 before Turner denied Kuminga at the rim which triggered a transition opportunity for the Pacers. Siakam cleaned up a missed shot to give the Pacers a lead which they would not relinquish.
The game was also meaningful because Tyrese Haliburton was on full display as the Pacers kept pace with the Warriors in a high-scoring first half. Hali was 3 for 4 from 3-land in the first half as the team made 11 of 23 treys, including a bomb from Haliburton at the buzzer to end the half and draw the Pacers within a point at the break. The Pacers were just 4 of 13 from three in the second half, but fortunately were able to rely on their defense to cover up for the clanks.
Haliburton finished with 26 points and 11 assists, including a couple of deep 3-balls that brough back thoughts of the IST run. With Hali at this level and Siakam continuing to be a source of strength and buckets, the two look like quite the complementary pairing right now. Siakam finished with 25 points, a season-high 16 rebounds and 6 assists. Both of these guys can keep the ball moving and create their own buckets or buckets for others.
At the other end of the floor, the Pacers defense rating is sixth in the league over the past 10 games, although I prefer using 15 game samples which is roughly a month’s worth of games. The defensive rating is 12th over that span but in both samples, the team’s net rating is in the top ten. That tells you how well they have played in these wins, because there have been some tough losses mixed in there as well.
The win in SF was also extremely meaningful for the Pacers in their efforts to secure a playoff spot in the East. With timely losses Miami and Philly, the Pacers are alone in sixth place with a 1.5 game cushion over the Heat and Sixers.
The Pacers play their final back-to-back starting Sunday in L.A. against the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. They will then stay in town and play the Clippers on Monday. Like the Warriors, the Lakers currently in a do-or-die spot in 9th in the West so they are desperate to improve their playoff position with the end of the regular season coming into view.
Game Details
Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
When: Sunday, Mar. 24, 2024, 10:00 p.m. ET
TV: Bally Sports
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan
Odds: Pacers +5
Projected Starters
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner
Lakers: D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Anthony Davis,
Injuries
Pacers: James Johnson (personal) - questionable, Bennedict Mathurin (shoulder)- out
Lakers: Anthony Davis (Achilles) - probable, LeBron James (ankle) - questionable, Colin Castleton (wrist) - out, Jalen Hood-Schifino (back) - out, Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) - out, Gabe Vincent (knee) - out, Christian Wood (knee) - out