Another missed opportunity in the fourth...
Free-throw shooting and fourth-quarter offense -- two major issues that have plagued the Golden State Warriors season, and they did so again in a frustrating 111-105 loss to the Indiana Pacers at Chase Center on Monday night.
In a back-and-forth game the Warriors gave themselves a significant opportunity, leading 95-93 when Jonathan Kuminga hit a corner three with just over seven minutes remaining. From there the hosts were kept to just 10 more points, having crucially missed four free throws in the process.
The Warriors offense again came up short against the Pacers
After a 31-point third-quarter that included a 12-3 run to close, Golden State scored just 20 points in the fourth as they lost again in a clutch situation. The Warriors would also look back at the end of the first-half as a major turning point, having once led 47-36 before the Pacers closed the second on a 25-8 run to take an eight-point lead of their own.
In a time where his future continues to garner plenty of speculation -- not helped by his own social media post on Sunday -- Kuminga returned to form with a standout display that saw him finish with a game-high 26 points.
The fourth-year forward played with aggression but under control, shooting 9-of-16 from the floor and 2-of-3 from 3-point range while also adding eight rebounds and four assists in 30 minutes off the bench.
Unfortunately Kuminga missed three free-throws down the stretch, but regardless he was almost a lone hand in an otherwise disappointing Warrior offense. Coming off a 31-point ,10-assist performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday, Stephen Curry was kept incredibly quiet by Indiana guard Andrew Nembhard.
The 2x MVP had just 10 points on 2-of-13 shooting, including 2-of-9 from 3-point range. Curry did have five rebounds and seven assists, but Golden State desperately needed more from their superstar guard.
Andrew Wiggins had 16 points but took 16 shots to get there, having missed six-straight 3-pointers after making his opening attempt in the first-quarter. Trayce Jackson-Davis had 13 points, eight rebounds and three assists in his second-straight game as a starter, while Buddy Hield cooled off significantly after 11 points in the first-half against his former team.
The Warriors shot 43.3% from the floor and 31.6% from beyond the arc, while missing six of their 21 free-throw attempts. The Pacers were led by 23 points from Myles Turner which included a dagger three in the final 15 seconds after Golden State had closed to within two.
The Warriors now move to 15-13 on the season and will look to respond when they host the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster Christmas Day matchup on Wednesday.
