Matchup
Coming off an encouraging road win over the Lakers, the Pacers (16-29) will hope to keep the momentum rolling when they take on the Golden State Warriors (32-12) on the second night of a back-to-back.
It all came together on Wednesday night in L.A., where Indiana rallied from a 15-point deficit to knock off LeBron James and the Lakers. The victory was the Blue & Gold's first road win since Nov. 22, snapping an eight-game skid away from the friendly confines of Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Pacers' leading scorers all stepped up in Wednesday's victory.
Starting point guard Malcolm Brogdon was back on the floor for a full game for the first time since Dec. 15 after battling an Achilles injury and a stint on the NBA's health and safety protocols. Brogdon looked sharp, as he tallied 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting, four rebounds, and six assists in 26 minutes over the first three quarters.
Brogdon simply wasn't needed in the fourth quarter, as the Pacers broke open the game. Domantas Sabonis collected his fourth triple-double of the season with 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists, but it was Caris LeVert who took over in the final frame. LeVert scored 22 of his team-high 30 points in the fourth quarter, going 9-for-10 from the field and 3-for-3 from 3-point range over the final 10 minutes.
The Pacers now turn their attention to the rested Warriors, who own the second-best record in the NBA. Stephen Curry is making a strong case for his third MVP award, averaging 26.1 points and 6 assists per game, but the storyline lately has been the return of his "Splash Brother" Klay Thompson after a two-and-a-half year absence.
After recovering from both a torn ACL and a ruptured Achilles, Thompson played in an NBA game for the first time since the 2019 NBA Finals on Jan. 9. Despite the long layoff, the five-time All-Star has produced on restricted minutes over the past couple weeks. Through five games, Thompson is averaging 15.2 points in 21 minutes while going 13-for-36 (36.1 percent) from 3-point range.
Projected Starters
Malcolm Brogdon
Caris LeVert
Justin Holiday
Torrey Craig
Domantas Sabonis
Stephen Curry
Klay Thompson
Andrew Wiggins
Jonathan Kuminga
Kevon Looney
Pacers: PG - Malcolm Brogdon, SG - Caris LeVert, SF - Justin Holiday, PF - Torrey Craig, C - Domantas Sabonis
Warriors: PG - Stephen Curry, SG - Klay Thompson, SF - Andrew Wiggins, PF - Jonathan Kuminga, C - Kevon Looney
Injury Report
Pacers: T.J. McConnell - out (sore right wrist), Myles Turner - out (left foot stress reaction), T.J. Warren – out (left navicular fracture)
Warriors: Draymond Green - out (left L5-S1 disc injury recovery), Otto Porter Jr. - out (left foot injury management), James Wiseman - out (right knee injury recovery)
Last Meeting
Dec. 13, 2021: The Warriors scored seven unanswered points over the final minute and a half to come away with a 102-100 win over Indiana at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Indiana led 100-95 before Stephen Curry hit his fifth three of the night with 1:24 remaining and then, after a Myles Turner miss, drove to the basket and tied the game at 100 with 48.5 seconds to play.
After a timeout, Malcolm Brogdon missed a jumper and the Warriors corralled the rebound. They ran a play for Curry, who missed a three from the right wing, but Kevon Looney secured the offensive rebound and put it up and in to give Golden State the lead with 13.4 seconds left.
The Pacers put the ball in Caris LeVert's hands, but he slipped and lost the ball out of bounds as he drove the lane, killing any hope of Indiana forcing overtime.
"They switched it up top," LeVert said. "I think we were looking for a three. They did a great job of switching it, so I just tried to get downhill and make a play. Kind of slipped in the lane a little bit, tried to tip it back, and it just went out of bounds.
"It's obviously frustrating. We had a lead, felt like we played great basketball."
Domantas Sabonis had 30 points on 12-of-17 shooting and 11 rebounds in the loss. Brogdon added 23 points, six boards, and eight assists, while LeVert tallied 19 points and five boards in the loss.
Curry led the Warriors with 26 points, six rebounds, and six assists, going 5-for-15 from 3-point range.
Noteworthy
- The Pacers have won two straight and three of their last four games at Golden State.
- Pacers forward Justin Holiday won a NBA championship with the Warriors in 2014-15.
- Curry has made at least one 3-pointer in 165 consecutive games, the longest streak in NBA history. He broke his own record earlier this month when he surpassed his previous best streak of 157 games.
Tickets
After a five-game Western Conference road trip, the Pacers return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host Gordon Hayward and the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, Jan. 26 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets »
Broadcast Information TV & Radio Listings »
TV: TNT - Broadcasters TBA
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Pat Boylan (studio host)