Running Diary of Golden State Warriors at Indiana Pacers (2/26/13)

11:36  Klay Thompson opens the game with a nice drive off a curl screen, but is blocked by Roy Hibbert. Hibbert may be struggling offensively, but he is one of the best defensive centers in the league and will help seal off penetration by the Warriors, who’s guards are relatively inept at finishing around the rim.

10:50  The pacers initiate the offense in a two high post horns style look.  Hibbert sets a screen at for George Hill going left, then rolls through the lane for deep position on the right block.  As Paul George clears baseline to the left of the court, Hill passes to David West, who makes an entry pass to Hibbert for a post isolation.  Though he has good position, Hibbert gets little lift and has his shot blocked by Biedrins.

10:05:  Steph Curry hits a pull-up midrange jumper off a screen above the three point line by Biedrins.  Hibbert sags into the paint, as is typical of the Pacers’ defense, leaving Curry the ling two.  Curry will likely be able to get this shot throughout the game, and will need to have a good shooting night for the Dubs to win this game.

9:55:  Another Pacer possession, another post clear out for Roy Hibbert.  Again, he doesn’t get lift on the jump hook, and is blocked.  Hibbert has been incredibly inefficient this year, and it may benefit the Pacers more to leave Paul George on the wing, hoping his man will help down on HIbbert, allowing a kick out that leaves the Warriors defense off balance.

7:22  Steph Curry pushes the ball up the court and kicks it out to Harrison Barnes, then immediately runs back to the three point line for a rhythm jumper.  12-6 Warriors.  The Warriors often run staggered screens for Curry in semi-transition, and though that was just a normal drive and George Hill over-helped, the Warriors will want to get out in transition to combat the Pacers’ league leading defense.

6:55  Paul George hits a tough baseline fade-away 16-footer over Harrison Barnes, who displayed why he has such high defense potential, forcing George out of deeper position and not letting him penetrate baseline.

5:54  This time, George gets deeper position on the post-up, but immediately tries to force a pass into traffic for a cutting Lance Stephenson.  David Lee gathers the loose ball and pulls an uncoordinated version of the Blake Griffin, dribbling the ball up the court and drawing a foul on the layup.

4:42  Klay Thompson beats Paul George off the dribble and… KLAY THOMPSON BEAT PAUL GEORGE OFF THE DRIBBLE!!!  Unfortunately for Thompson’s assist numbers, David Lee blows the easy finish off the pass than goaltends the offensive rebound.

3:10  Andris Biedrins just blocked Hibbert with his stomach.  To say Hibbert stuggles offensively may be an understatement.

1:17  29-22 Indiana. The Warriors have struggled to score the last few possessions, while George Hill and transition offense have put the Pacers on a 9-0 run.

2nd Quarter

9:38  Indiana still has yet to score in the quarter narrowing the score to 31-30 Pacers.  Without George Hill or Paul George to run the offense, the Pacers seem unable to generate good shots.  Dj Augustin has underperformed so far this year for the Pacers, who expected him to replace the current Maverick Darren Collison as backup point guard.

6:44 Back to back threes by Steph Curry and Klay Thompson put the Warriors up 4, but the Warriors follow up the momentum swing with consecutive turnovers.

2:23  Harrison Barnes does a good job attacking the close-out and draws a shooting foul.  He has looked more aggressive in this game than any over the past two weeks.

1:53  In a bout of self-pity, Steph Curry completely destroys George Hill’s ankles.

1:22  Steph Curry pushes the ball in transition and penetrates than clears back out and gets a down screen from David Lee for an open three, which he drains.  Though the Pacers have them locked up in the half court, the Warriors have taken advantage of transition opportunities.

1:12  Another transition bucket for Curry, this time a floater in the lane.  That’s 21 in the 1st half for Steph.   After a Lee layup and Paul George missed three, the Warriors enter halftime down 1.

3rd Quarter

10:45  Just as with the 1st half, Klay Thomson starts the second on the Paul George.  He has done a good job denying George space as he comes off screens while forcing George into the help defense.

7:35  More good defense from Harrison Barnes forces Lance Stephenson into a step-back jumper, which he misses.  Barnes’s speed and strength make him one of the few players in the league able to guard a his man in space without forcing him into the help defense, and when the “help defense” consists of David Lee and Andris Biedrins, that is a very valuable skill.

5:53  Klay Thompson blows an easy fastbreak layup.  He really needs to work on his finishing skills to be able to take advantage of transition plays and defenders that overplay him on curl screens.

End of Third:  The Warriors ran a lineup of Festus Ezeli, Carl Landry, Draymond Green, Richard Jefferson, and Jarret Jack to close out the 3rd.  Playing three offensively inept players, along with a struggling Carl Landry is probably not the best method to stay in a game against the Pacers.  Though Jarret Jack tried to carry the offense, the Pacers will carry a 12 point lead entering the 4th

4th Quarter

9:21   Some improved offensive play and an incredible three by Steph Curry bring the Warriors within 6.  Jarret Jack is taking advantage of his ability to get in the lane off the dribble, and in typical Pacer fashion, the defense is not helping off perimeter players, leaving Jack to draw fouls.  With 2 more fouls the warriors will be in the bonus the rest of the fourth.

7:30  The Klay Thompson layup extravaganza continues as Klay misses a semi-contested reverse.  The play did display Klay’s inane ability to navigate off-ball screens offensively.

6:10  Hibbert and David Lee go at it off ball and a fight breaks out.  Steph Curry ran at Roy Hibbert who through him down with an elbow.  No punches were thrown, but the Warriors, with the Rockets, Jazz, and Lakers breathing down their necks can not afford to have Curry suspended.

http://www.slamonline.com/online/media/slam-tv/2013/02/fight-erupts-during-pacers-warriors-game-roy-hibbert-ejected-video/

6:10  Hibbert is ejected, and Steph Curry, David Lee, David West and Klay Thompson all receive technicals.  If the fight hadn’t spread to the stands the reaction to the biggest brawl in the nba this year would likely have been less severe.

1:34  Pacers up 108-93.  Post brawl, they were able to take advantage of David Lee in the post and grabbed a few key rebounds, enough to close out the Warriors, who will regret letting the league’s 22nd ranked offense score so easily.

54:  A garbage time post up by Harrison Barnes displays what has been his most promising offensive skill so far this year.

The Pacers benefited from Warriors turnovers throughout the game, and were able to score efficiently enough in the post and on spot up threes to beat the Warriors, who suffered from lineup spurred offensive dry spells, in Indiana.

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