by Wheat Hotchkiss
The Pacers (29-23) will look to pick up a third straight win on Thursday night, when they host Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors (22-25) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Thursday will be Indiana’s final home game before NBA All-Star 2024, as the Blue and Gold will embark on a three-game road trip over the next week as preparations begin for Indianapolis to host the league’s annual showcase from Feb. 16-18.
The Blue & Gold are coming off a 132-129 win over the Rockets on Tuesday night. The Pacers shot a blistering 62.8 percent, with six players reaching double figures. Pascal Siakam led the way with 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting (4-of-6 from 3-point range), while Myles Turner added 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting and T.J. McConnell chipped in 18 points off the bench, going 8-for-11 from the field.
The most encouraging development for Pacers fans was that All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton played 29 minutes, his most playing time since returning from a left hamstring strain last week, and tallied 18 points on 8-of-15 shooting and seven assists.
The Pacers have four games left until the All-Star break and the hope is that Haliburton close to full health by the time the break rolls around. He’ll have a busy weekend playing host during All-Star, but still will have eight days off between games and should be ready to go when the Pacers resume their playoff push.
Less than two years removed from their latest NBA title, the Warriors are fighting just to make the playoffs this year. Golden State is currently in 11th place in the Western Conference and would not even qualify for the Play-In Tournament if the season ended today.
Despite the Warriors’ struggles, Curry is still as brilliant as ever at age 35. The two-time MVP is sixth in the league in scoring at 28.1 points per game and is still the league’s best volume shooter, hoisting nearly 12 threes per game and knocking them down at a 41-percent clip.
Curry has had some big nights in recent weeks. He scored 46 points and went 9-for-21 from beyond the arc on Jan. 27 against the Lakers and then dropped a season-high 60 points while going 10-for-23 from long range on Feb. 3 in Atlanta. But those games aptly summarize the 2023-24 Warriors, as despite Curry’s strong performances, Golden State dropped both contests.
One bright spot for the Warriors in recent weeks has been Jonathan Kuminga. Still just 21 years old, Kuminga has started to show why he was the seventh overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Over his last 10 games entering Wednesday, the 6-7 forward has averaged 24.9 points and 6.7 rebounds while shooting 60.8 percent from the field.
The Warriors will be on the second night of a back-to-back on Thursday, as they play on Wednesday night in Philadelphia before traveling to Indianapolis.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G – Tyrese Haliburton, G – Andrew Nembhard, F – Aaron Nesmith, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Myles Turner
Warriors: G – Stephen Curry, G – Brandin Podziemski, F – Klay Thompson, F – Jonathan Kuminga, C – Draymond Green
Injury Report
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton – questionable (left hamstring strain injury management), Bennedict Mathurin – questionable (illness), Jalen Smith – questionable (low back strain)
Warriors: Andrew Wiggins – probable (left ankle contusion), Draymond Green – questionable (right knee contusion), Chris Paul – out (left hand fracture), Gary Payton II – out (left hamstring strain)
Last Meeting
Dec. 14, 2022: Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin combined for 53 points and nine 3-pointers to lead Indiana to a 125-119 win over Golden State at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
After scoring just one point two nights earlier in a loss in Miami, Haliburton bounced back in a big way. Indiana’s leading scorer dropped 20 of his 29 points in the first half on Wednesday, and went 5-for-10 from 3-point range while also tallying four rebounds, six assists, two blocks, and a steal.
“I’ve just got some great people in my life,” Haliburton said of his bounce-back performance. “…Great people in this locker room, great vets and coaches that just stayed on me to just play basketball, play free.”
Mathurin, meanwhile, hit big shot after big shot, finishing with 24 points, six boards, and three assists, going 8-for-14 from the field and 4-for-7 from 3-point range.
Stephen Curry tallied 38 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists in 30 minutes for the Warriors, going 11-for-19 from the field, 5-for-10 from 3-point range, and 11-for-11 from the free throw line, but exited after injuring his left shoulder with 2:04 remaining in the third quarter and did not return.
Myles Turner tallied 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting, three assists, two steals, and a block for the Pacres in the win. Buddy Hield added 17 points and five rebounds, while Oshae Brissett chipped in 11 points off the bench for Indiana.
Jordan Poole finished with 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists for Golden State in the loss. Donte DiVincenzo added 15 points and eight rebounds, while JaMychal Green tallied 15 points off the bench.
Noteworthy
The Pacers have won three straight games against the Warriors. Indiana swept the season series with Golden State last season for the first time since 2017-18.
Pacers guard Buddy Hield needs two 3-pointers to pass Billy Keller (506) for fifth place in franchise history.
Haliburton is 28 points shy of reaching 4,000 for his career.
Former Pacers guard Cory Joseph, who played in Indiana for two seasons from 2017-19, is in his 13th NBA season and his first with the Warriors.
The Warriors drafted Indiana University All-American Trayce Jackson-Davis, the son of former Pacers center Dale Davis, with the 57th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Jackson-Davis is averaging 6.7 points and 4.2 rebounds over 35 games as a rookie.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings)
TV: Bally Sports Indiana – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)
Originally posted on pacers.com