Indiana Pacers sweep season series with second win over Golden State Warriors
Every time the Indiana Pacers look like they are down, they pop back up. Early in the season, they were 1-4. They then won four of their next five. They lost four game in a stretch of five on a recent road trip only to bounce back and topple the Warriors and Wizards in a four-day span. The Pacers have always found a way to keep themselves afloat.
Tonight, that happened again. Indiana had lost two ugly games in a row — a shootout against the shorthanded Brooklyn Nets and a physical battle with the Miami Heat. They were .500 and in danger of dropping under .500 for the first time since November 11. And the defending champion Golden State Warriors were in town. The Pacers needed to respond to their struggles again, but it would be tough against Stephen Curry and company.
As they have been all season, though, the Pacers were up for the challenge. They looked sharp and prepared early, and they were winning at the end of the first quarter — a rarity for the team this year. They had an incredible second quarter, scoring 47 points in the frame. It was the most points that Golden State had conceded in a quarter this year.
Steph Curry had 27 points at halftime, yet the Pacers led by 20. It was one of their brightest first halves of the season. "Just being able to get stops and play in transition," Tyrese Haliburton said of the Pacers big second quarter. He had 17 points and four assists himself in that frame. Myles Turner had a strong first half as well.
Like champions do, the Warriors didn't go away. They were excellent in the third quarter, and they slowly but surely cut Indiana's 20-point lead down as low as three. They were surging and looked unstoppable.
But Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle made a well-timed change just before that and brought in reserve guard Bennedict Mathurin. Mathurin, who had a decent first half, saved the day for the Pacers. He scored nine points in 1:04 to keep the blue and gold ahead. It was a game-changing moment.
His outside shot looked sharp, and he worked on that skill with Carlisle the day prior at practice. It clearly paid off. He finished 4/7 from deep, and his burst had the Pacers up 13 when perhaps the biggest moment of the game happened.
With 2:10 remaining in the third quarter, Curry lunged over to stop a drive by Pacers center Jalen Smith. He collided with the big man and immediately reached for his shoulder. He was in pain. Curry never returned with a shoulder injury, and he is slated to have an MRI later this week.
At that time, the two-time MVP had 38 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. He was the best player on the court. Without him, Golden State's offense was slowed — they had to work harder for their points.
It didn't take long for another key moment to occur. Less than four minutes into the final quarter, Warriors forward Draymond Green received two technical fouls. He was ejected. Golden State's two best players were now done for the night, and the Pacers cruised the rest of the way — they were up 11 when Green got his first technical and held their lead the rest of the way.
When the final buzzer sounded, Indiana had a 125-119 lead. They notched their 15th win of the season and climbed back over .500.
"It's a sign of resilience. We've been resilient all year. We've played from behind a lot," Carlisle said of his team constantly bouncing back after the game.
The Pacers moved to 7th in the Eastern Conference with the win. Turner finished with 21 points and a game-clinching block, he was excellent all night.
It was two young guards that stole the show for the Pacers, though, and it was a fitting representation of their season. Haliburton and Mathurin both had a bounce-back game. Haliburton had one point on Monday night in perhaps his worst ever NBA game. Tonight, he finished with 29 points and six assists.
Mathurin had a big night as well. He had averaged 13.5 points per game over his past six outings, and he shot 35.8% in that span. Against the Warriors, he finished with 24 points, six rebounds, and three assists. He was an incredible +34 in the win, meaning the Pacers got absolutely blasted in the 12 minutes that he sat on the bench. Like the Pacers as a team all season, those two individuals bounced back from tough nights.
Indiana has not won consecutive games since November 19 and 21, but they will hope to fix that on Friday when they travel to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers. It will be the first battle between the division rivals of the season.
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