MONTA ELLIS Golden State's lightning-quick guard struck for 29 points on 13-of-22 shooting, adding eight rebounds, four assists and three steals in a dynamic performance.

JIM O'BRIEN "Turnovers have been our downfall lately and they were again tonight. Whenever you shoot 48 percent and hold a team like that to 41 percent with a turnover differential of nine, that’s where you lose the basketball game."

Points in the paint: Warriors 44, Pacers 34 Fast-break points: Warriors 27, Pacers 16 Second-chance points: Warriors 17, Pacers 6 Points off turnovers: Warriors 27, Pacers 19 Starters scoring: Warriors 81, Pacers 79 Bench scoring: Warriors 25, Pacers 22

The Pacers outscored the Warriors 19-16 from the free-throw line, marking the first time in 22 games dating back to Nov. 30 at Seattle they won the free-throw battle.

After a couple of days off, the Pacers return to action Wednesday in Conseco Fieldhouse against these same Warriors (7 p.m., FSN-Indiana, WFNI-AM 1070).

Postgame quotes Plus-minus rankings Game info

GOLDEN STATE 106, INDIANA 101
Warriors too quick for Pacers

At Oakland, Calif. | Jan. 13, 2008

Unable to contain guards Monta Ellis and Baron Davis, who combined to outscore Indiana's starting backcourt of Jamaal Tinsley and Kareem Rush 56-14, the Pacers lost an 11-point third-quarter lead and dropped a 106-101 decision to Golden State Sunday night in Oakland.

The Pacers (17-22) went 1-4 on their longest road trip of the season but return home for the next two games, including a Wednesday rematch with the Warriors (22-16), who've won 22 of 32 after an 0-6 start.

“I think we were running on fumes tonight," said Mike Dunleavy, who had 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists despite being booed every time he touched the ball in his first game back since being traded to the Pacers from Golden State last January. "Playing these teams, Phoenix, Sacramento, Golden State, they really wear on you. I thought we got it together in the end, we just couldn’t finish it off.

"I know this team, playing in this arena, they make runs, but we couldn’t just hang on. Playing against the old team, the old environment, it was a fun game, I just wish we could have won."

Indiana led most of the way and led 94-89 with 4:47 remaining after back-to-back baskets by Dunleavy. But Davis and Ellis combined for 11 of the Warriors' next 13 points, with Ellis slicing through the defense for a three-point play that put the Warriors up 100-98, then tipping in a Davis miss for a 102-99 advantage with 1:12 remaining.

Jermaine O'Neal scored inside to cut the deficit to one, but then failed to box out on a tip-in by Andris Biedrins with 17 seconds left. Indiana's last chance expired when Tinsley's long 3-pointer barely grazed the front of the rim and Kelenna Azubuike closed it out at the line.

"Both Baron Davis and Monta Ellis do a great job at putting their head down and getting to the basket," said Dunleavy. "We will get another crack at them on Wednesday, and hopefully we can get them back at our place."

O'Neal was a force at both ends, scoring 27 points on 11-of-19 shooting, grabbing nine rebounds and blocking six shots, many against his close friend and former teammate Al Harrington. Neither of the former Pacers figured much in the decision as Harrington and Stephen Jackson combined to shoot 10-of-34 (.294) overall and 1-of-12 (.083) from the 3-point line.

Danny Granger scored 20 with eight rebounds. Tinsley had 11 assists but five turnovers. The Pacers committed 23 turnovers in the game, 19 after the first quarter.

“We didn’t really take care of the ball in the second half as much as we did in the first," said O'Neal. "This was a big game, full of runs, and those guys play freely. They can shoot themselves into a game, but they can also shoot themselves out of a game. That is just what happened tonight. The Warriors played very well. They have a tremendous fan base here, and really gets them going at the lowest part of the game, as far as ball movement, and style of play. These fans always seem to get the energy level back up. I think the Warriors fed off that tonight."

Ellis scored 29 on 13-of-22 shooting, adding eight rebounds, four assists and three steals. Davis battled early foul trouble and a rough night at the line (5-of-11) but wound up with 27 points on 10-of-16 shooting, adding seven rebounds, six assists and two steals. The Warriors overcame poor shooting from the 3-point arc (8-of-33) and the free-throw line (16-of-28).

The Pacers started quickly for the second game in a row, putting the Warriors in an early 21-10 hole as O'Neal established himself immediately inside. Golden State closed to 24-19 but the Pacers scored the next 12 to make it 36-19 early in the second quarter.

Twice more the Warriors put together runs but each time the Pacers answered. Kelenna Azubuike scored six in a 10-point run that made it 36-29 but the Pacers held the Warriors to one field goal as the lead was rebuilt to 47-35. Monta Ellis sparked another 10-point run that cut it to 47-45 but the Pacers again closed the period well as Danny Granger hit a 3-pointer, Marquis Daniels dunked and Travis Diener flipped in a buzzer-beating one-handed fallaway shot as the half ended and the Pacers took a 54-45 lead into the locker room.

It was 65-54 in the third when Tinsley threw his shoulder into a driving Ellis, drawing a Flagrant Foul that seemed to ignite Ellis, the crowd and the Warriors. Ellis quickly scored eight points to spark a 19-6 run that pushed the Warriors into their first lead and set up the see-saw fourth quarter.