Jimmy Butler wills Curry-less Warriors past shorthanded Pacers

Jimmy Butler and the Golden State Warriors broke out of a two-game losing skid, beating the shorthanded Indiana Pacers, 114-83, at Chase Center in San Francisco on Monday (PH time).

As Steph Curry missed his third straight game due to illness, the Warriors retained their undefeated record at home at 5-0.

Butler scored 21 points to add to his nine rebounds and seven assists as they rallied in the second half to pull away and win comfortably against the Pacers. They rise above .500 with a 6-5 record after their recent slump.

A 13-0 spurt between the third and fourth quarters and an overall 21-7 run helped the Warriors pull away after a nip-and-tuck game in the first half, even as the Pacers missed both Pascal Siakam and Aaron Nesmith due to rest and injury, respectively.

Nesmith had a career-best 31 points in their earlier matchup with the Warriors.

The win also gives Golden State their first victory over Indiana at Chase Center. Indiana had won the last six matchups on Warriors ground. Prior to Sunday, Golden State last beat Indiana at home on March 21, 2019 at Oracle Arena in Oakland.

Prior to the game, the Pacers were the only team left undefeated at Chase Center.

Golden State’s bench proved the difference with half of their points coming from the second and third units (57).

Quinten Post added 14 points and seven rebounds for the Warriors in the victory.

Andrew Nembhard paced Indiana in the loss with 14 points, two rebounds, nine assists, and two steals.

Golden State moves on to a tougher assignment when they visit the Thunder in their next game. They are 1-5 in road games this season.

The Pacers (1-9) continue their road trip in Utah next.

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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.

Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.