On Thursday, the short-handed Indiana Pacers pulled off an upset win on the road over the Golden State Warriors thanks in large part to the efforts of several first-year players.
Down several starters, including Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, Malcolm Brogdon and Caris LeVert, the Pacers were forced to rely on other players in the contest. Chris Duarte stepped up to lead the way after tying a career-high with 27 points in the 121-117 overtime win.
To force overtime, the Pacers needed the clutch shooting of Justin Holiday. With 9.4 seconds in regulation, and the Pacers down by three points, Holiday lost Stephen Curry for the open look. He drilled the shot with six seconds remaining.
From there, the Warriors missed a layup and the game went to OT.
the shot that sent us to overtime 😤@JustHolla7 | #GoldBlooded pic.twitter.com/wYqhAbwrK9
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) January 21, 2022
Indiana entered the contest as 16.5-point underdogs without four of their starters available. The win marked the third-largest upset of the Warriors under head coach Steve Kerr as the team has now lost six out of their last nine contests.
Here is a more in-depth look at how the Pacers’ rookies played a key role in the upset win.