SAN FRANCISCO — Eight different Warriors combined for 24 shots Monday night before Stephen Curry made his first, a wayward 3-point attempt, 85 seconds into the second quarter.

That’s not what Warriors coach Steve Kerr had in mind in recent days as he sternly reminded Curry’s teammates that the two-time NBA MVP is the team’s standout offensive player.

But as this game progressed, this opposite approach seemed sensible. Considering how much attention Curry received from the Indiana Pacers, his teammates looked cleaner. He recognized it and became more decoy than producer, more passer than shooter. He’s played this role many times in his 16-year NBA career, so this was nothing new.

It wasn’t until Curry’s 24th minute, 41.1 seconds before the end of the third quarter, that he hit his first shot, a three-pointer from the right wing that increased Golden State’s deficit from nine to six (89-83) and sold out the score Crowd troubled (18,064). ) at the Chase Center.

That one shot provided a spark that was enough to pull the Warriors out of a long uphill battle and set in motion a pulsating fourth quarter before it became apparent that neither Curry nor his teammates had what it took to beat the Pacers complete.

Although the Warriors stepped up and tightened their defense in the final 12 minutes, Indiana had enough to pull out a 111-105 victory. The Pacers defeated Golden State 14-8 in 4:43 in the final, extending their unbeaten streak at Chase Center to six games.

Pressured by Indiana Bulldog guard Andrew Nembhard, who had plenty of help, Curry finished the game with 10 points on 2 of 13 shooting from the field, including 2 of 9 from long range.

“Tough night for him,” Kerr said. “It’s happening.”

Curry didn’t let himself get away with it, acknowledging that despite his fantastic result on Saturday in Minnesota, his game lacks typical efficiency.

“It could be a lot better, and it will be,” he said. “We’re going to be defended in a certain way, but it’s nothing I haven’t seen before. You just need to understand when to choose your seats based on the attention you receive. Get the ball moving and try to find a rhythm a little earlier.

“It may be a bit of an adjustment, but I’ve been through it and I always try to find a way to get back on my feet.”

There was a silver lining to the defeat. The Warriors played with tempo across the board and moved the ball. That was Kerr’s goal, getting his players, particularly young players Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski, to remember that the offense is driven by Curry’s seriousness . His presence is always important, even if his shot is missing.

Curry was the only Golden State starter to finish with a positive plus/minus (plus-6). He had seven assists on a night where the Warriors shot 43.3 percent from the field.

“I thought we had good looks for most of the game,” Kerr said. “Our boys played really good basketball for a long time. It was a slow start with the ball losses. But we sorted that out quickly. Our boys were competitive and had chances, but couldn’t put the ball in the basket.”

Kuminga played at a level that, if it happened often, could lead to a great future. He made a particularly questionable decision, but above all, he emphasized his strengths and used them. He finished the game with 26 points on 9 of 16 shooting, including 2 of 3 from long range. He had four assists and only one turnover.

This was one of those games where none of the veteran scorers in the Warriors’ starting lineup – Andrew Wiggins and Curry – put the game on the line. They were 3 of 12 from the floor overall in the first quarter.

“We had some possessions that weren’t great,” Kerr said. “But all in all it looks pretty good. I love the way the boys competed and stuck together. . . I just couldn’t block enough shots to win the game.”

Curry usually takes care of it. He didn’t.

“I have to play better – and I will,” he said. “But overall we just have to keep our confidence in what we’re doing and not have these little spurts where we breathe life into a team.”

There will certainly be nights when Curry plays better. Much better. But if the Warriors want to make their way to the postseason, he’ll still need plenty of help. A leader, no matter how great, always needs a strong supporting cast to be successful.

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