The Golden State Warriors had a scheduled loss on Friday night. They were on the road playing in a back-to-back game against an Indiana Pacers team that was mostly at full strength. And the Warriors’ list of missing players was longer than a CVS receipt: their superstar (Steph Curry), their defensive ace (Draymond Green), their starting lineup glue (Andrew Wiggins), their sixth man (Jonathan Kuminga) and two key cogs (Brandin Podziemski and Gary Payton II).

The loss was predictable and in fact they lost 108-96. But they definitely made it more interesting and entertaining than anyone expected. As you probably guessed, the starting lineup of Dennis Schröder, Lindy Waters III, Buddy Hield, Kyle Anderson and Trayce Jackson-Davis struggled to put points on the board early on. The Warriors missed their first seven three-point attempts and it took nearly four minutes for them to score their third and fourth points. But the defensive effort was not only spirited, it was outstanding as they kept Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner and the rest of the Pacers at bay.

Eventually the offense found some rhythm, and Thursday night’s hero, rarely used winger Guy Santos, drove to the basket for a layup with just over four minutes left that gave the Warriors the lead. After a dunk by Pat Spencer, the Warriors scored 20-17, which led to a timeout for Rick Carlisle. The healthy Pacers team went on an 8-0 run, with Indy taking a 27-24 lead at the end of the game.

Santos quickly tied the game with a three-pointer on the first possession of the second quarter, but then things got sloppy. Neither team was able to score as Golden State’s defense remained strong while their offense faltered. Eventually, Indiana found a gap in the Dubs’ defense and started a run. Spencer played well, but no one else could score, and with just over three minutes left, the Pacers extended their lead to 14 points. But the Warriors had an answer, finishing the game with a flurry of steals and buckets that ended with a 13-4 run and trailed just 50-45 at halftime.

It was an impressive effort, but they couldn’t quite keep it up. They got chances early in the third quarter but couldn’t make them count. The deficit hovered around 10 points for most of the quarter – giving Quinten Post a meaningful run – and ended at exactly 10 points, with the Pacers leading 80-70 heading into the final 12 minutes.

Then things got exciting. At least briefly. The Warriors remained focused defensively and two consecutive early threes from Schröder and Post brought the Warriors within four. However, they couldn’t quite get over the hurdle, and eventually the Pacers stretched their lead back to double digits and the Warriors couldn’t quite get over the hurdle.

For the second straight year, Hield led the Warriors with 17 points… well, lead the team together as Spencer’s big night also yielded 17 points. Schröder (12) and Santos (11) also reached double figures, while Jackson-Davis narrowly missed a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds.

The Dubs fell to .500 at 19-19 and will now get a day off before heading out of the country to face the Toronto Raptors.