What we learned as short-handed Warriors fell to red-hot Pacers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
BOX SCORE
There’s no mistaking the heart and hustle of the Warriors Friday night in their 108-96 loss to the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Sometimes a six-player deficit is just too much to overcome.
The Warriors were without Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Gray Payton II and Brandin Podziemski. The depth was more than tested.
Buddy Hield scored a team-high 17 points on 6-of-19 shooting and was 3 of 12 from 3-point range. Fellow defenseman Dennis Schroder gave Golden State just 12 points on 5-of-13 shooting, while only one of his six 3-point attempts went through.
Perhaps the biggest bright spot was Pat Spencer, a two-way player who put Hield into the team’s scoring lead by dropping 17 points.
Both the Warriors (19-19) and Pacers (21-18) struggled shooting, but the Pacers made five more shots despite eight fewer attempts.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ 12-point loss to the Pacers.
Santa Cruz Pipeline
If Thursday night was all about Gui Santos, Spencer took the lead early on Friday night. Spencer served as the Warriors’ backup point guard when Curry was out, and has been an admirable guard with the ball in his hands when given the opportunity. It’s rare that he scores first.
But one night, the Warriors were no longer short and needed points from everyone, including Spencer. His seven points in the first quarter alone gave him a new career high. Spencer was up to nine points at halftime, and another four took him to 13 through three quarters.
As part of his unforgettable night, Spencer made his first three-pointer in his NBA career.
And he wasn’t alone in the former and current Santa Cruz Warriors trying their hand at a bigger stage. Santos followed up his impressive performance by being a team-high plus-9 in 23 minutes off the bench. Santos scored 11 points, two fewer than his career high the previous night, and also had three assists and three steals.
Quinten Post, the Warriors’ lone pick in the 2024 NBA Draft at No. 52 overall, was called up from the G League and scored six points in six minutes. That amounts to a career high in the NBA, and he also made his first three in a Warriors jersey.
Layup line
It’s no secret or surprise what the Warriors’ bread and butter is offensively. They live and die on the three-point line, but the latter is far more likely than the former if Curry and Co. not on the field. It didn’t help that Hield and Schroder went cold from there.
But the Warriors, whether full or short, need to make the little things easier.
They are averaging the fewest points per game, with a modest 19.5 on the night. Part of that is style. Another part is how often the Warriors fail to make layups.
A long session of the Mikan Drill is long overdue. The Warriors missed 15 shots that were ruled layups. Several were blocked, and a handful of others around the basket also rattled out. This team’s combination of giving up the ball, missing layups and free throws is too often a recipe for disaster.
What’s left during the road trip?
Going into the Warriors’ four-game road trip, the goal was always to split at least the first two games — a back-to-back at Detroit and Indiana. Mission accomplished.
The expectation was that the Warriors would be without Curry and Green for half of the back-to-back. Green wouldn’t miss his homecoming in the Motor City, and after 36 minutes of play Thursday night, it was clear Curry would be exposed to street clothes on the sidelines. It was impossible to predict that Wiggins would be away from the team for personal reasons and return to the Bay Area.
Now the Warriors are back to .500 this season with games against the Raptors in Toronto and the Timberwolves in Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Orlando Magic on Thursday, the same night the Raptors lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers, but both teams had Friday off.
This coming Monday will be the Warriors’ first game against the Raptors this season, a team currently on a four-game losing streak and with just three wins since December 1. Monday could also mark the returns of Payton and Podziemski from injuries. If it’s not Monday, there’s a good chance the two will play against the Timberwolves on Wednesday.
Curry and Green should be available for both games. Wednesday will also be the Warriors’ fourth and final game against the Timberwolves after beating them twice in their first three games. Still going home at least .500 is a must. Being a game above would be big before welcoming Jordan Poole and the Washington Wizards to Chase Center.
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