The Warriors always maintained the lead in the first half, but they were defeated by the Pacers in the third quarter. They only scored 21 points in a single quarter and became a "three collapses". After that, the Warriors were never able to catch up with the score and eventually lost to the Pacers. On March 23, 2024, Beijing time, the Golden State Warriors lost to the Indiana Pacers 111-123. Curry had 25 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists, and Haliburton had 26 points, 2 rebounds and 11 assists.
The Warriors now need more victories to ensure their qualification for the play-offs. After all, the Rockets behind them are catching up too fast. Facing the Pacers, who had defeated them before, the Warriors obviously have enough confidence. Haliburton's recent poor form has caused the Pacers to slip down the rankings. If they want to retain their playoff qualification, they also need to win more wins. Haliburton's status in the game will also affect the Pacers. After the opening, Wiggins succeeded in targeting misplaced singles. Curry broke through to attract the defense and then passed back to Podemski, who hit a three-pointer. Green scored 4 points in a row, and then assisted Curry for a layup. The Warriors hit all their first 5 shots after the opening, instantly widening the point difference to 7 points. Compared with the previous games, Curry found his touch in the first quarter and hit consecutive three-pointers. If the Pacers' shooting percentage was not also high enough, I am afraid the Warriors would have widened the point difference.
Thompson, who came on the bench, is now becoming more and more adaptable to the team's adjustments. After coming on the court, he steadily hit the mid-range shot. Haliburton continued to dribble away Paul and hit a three-pointer, and then scored in the counterattack. The hand hit and the Pacers tied the score. Thompson was forced to the right corner. He didn't choose to dribble at all, but continuously shook off the opponent's defense and hit three-pointers. Thompson's consecutive three-pointers helped the Warriors gradually widen the point difference to double digits. Then the Warriors replaced Curry again, hoping to use a stronger offensive impact to completely crush the Pacers' defense. Curry attracted a double-team from two Pacers players on the outside. He quickly passed the ball to Davis under the basket. Davis hit Turner with a hook, and the Warriors launched a 12-3 offensive. Siakam hit a three-pointer, Paul dribbled to the frontcourt and succeeded in a "return shot", and Turner rushed to the basket and dunked Curry directly.
Curry hit Nembhard but missed the three-pointer. Paul had an argument with Siakam while fighting for a rebound. Haliburton's breakthrough attracted a three-team double-team from the Warriors. He passed back in the air to Turner who was in the high post, and the latter made a steady three-pointer. Bodemski made a dribbling error, and Nembhard scored 2 points on the fast break. The Pacers quickly responded with a 12-2 offensive from the Warriors, narrowing the point difference to 1 point. At the critical moment, it also depends on Curry. His layup helped the Warriors break the scoring deadlock. The Pacers defeated the Warriors in the last matchup between the two teams. They obviously understand the flaws in the Warriors' tactics. With the help of defensive counterattacks, the Pacers scored consecutively, and Haliburton's fast break layup helped the Pacers lead by 5 points. Kuminga assisted Curry and hit a three-pointer. Siakam scored the ball against the Warriors' two defenders in the paint. Smith hit a three-pointer from the outside. Siakam hit a throw-in. The Pacers' lead reached 8 points.
The Pacers' continuous defensive counterattacks caused the Warriors to collapse. They led the Warriors by 17 points at most. The Warriors who were once known as the "Brave Three Crazy" became the "Brave Three Collapses". The Warriors replaced Curry again to try to chase points. Unfortunately, the Warriors did not arrange special tactics for Curry, and Thompson, who performed well in the second quarter, could not find his sights. As the Pacers hit three-pointers repeatedly, the Warriors were unable to chase points. In the end, the Pacers defeated the Warriors on the road.
