Tyrese Haliburton scored 26 points and dished out 11 assists, while Pascal Siakam contributed 25 points and secured 16 rebounds as the Indiana Pacers defeated the Golden State Warriors 123-111 on Friday night.
The Pacers took control of the game in the third quarter, outscoring the Warriors 36-21 after trailing by double digits in the first half. Haliburton, who had been struggling with his shooting recently, scored 11 points in the third quarter, helping to spark the Pacers’ surge.
“We had to increase our intensity in the second half and play more aggressively to compete,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said.
Myles Turner, who recorded five blocks along with 14 points and 10 rebounds, surpassed Jermaine O’Neal’s record for most blocks in franchise history with 1,246 blocks. Turner, in his ninth season with the Pacers, celebrated the achievement and described it as an “emotional feeling.”
“It’s an incredible accomplishment,” Turner said. “Regardless of what happens in the future, I’ll always have this moment to cherish. Hopefully, this record will stand for a long time.”
Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 25 points and 10 rebounds but struggled from beyond the arc, shooting 6 of 18 from 3-point range. “Limiting Steph Curry to under 30 points in his home court is impressive,” Carlisle said, praising Andrew Nembhard for his defense against Curry.
Chris Paul was ejected in the final moments of the game after receiving two quick technical fouls. He later explained that he called referee Tony Brothers a “TikToker” and accused him of having “too much power.”
The Pacers, currently on a five-game road trip, secured a spot in the play-in tournament with the Brooklyn Nets’ loss on Thursday. However, they are only half a game ahead of the Miami Heat for the sixth spot as they aim to avoid the play-in entirely.
Indiana remained undefeated at Chase Center, improving to 5-0 against the Warriors since their move to San Francisco. The team’s record now stands at 33-13 when six or more players score in double figures. Haliburton described the victory as one of their most complete efforts of the season.
“It’s a significant win for us,” Haliburton said. “With the standings where they are, every game matters. We’re focused on taking care of business during this trip.”
The Warriors currently occupy the final spot in the play-in tournament, trailing the Los Angeles Lakers by half a game. Coach Steve Kerr acknowledged that the Pacers outplayed his team in the second half and praised their physicality.
“They were more aggressive and physical than us,” Kerr said. “They capitalized on our mistakes and took control of the game.”
