Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Plays well in Game 7 defeat
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Mathurin amassed 24 points (6-14 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 10-10 FT), 13 rebounds, three assists and two steals across 33 minutes during Sunday's 103-91 loss to Oklahoma City in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Mathurin's production was all over the place in the postseason, though he certainly had his moments. With Tyrese Haliburton sidelined by an Achilles tear, the Pacers may bank on Mathurin taking a leap in 2025-26 with so much usage up for grabs. During the 2024-25 regular season, Mathurin appeared in 72 games and produced 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.7 steals and 1.4 three-pointers on 45.8 percent shooting from the field.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Crashes back to earth in loss
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Mathurin supplied eight points (1-2 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 5-8 FT), two rebounds and one block in 14 minutes during Friday's 111-104 loss to the Thunder in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
Mathurin couldn't repeat his heroics from Game 3, stringing together arguably the worst 60 seconds of his career as the Pacers squandered what could have been a series-defining lead. Mathurin committed two dead-ball fouls while also going 1-of-4 from the line down the stretch. Aaron Nesmith fouled out in the dying stages, and Rick Carlisle opted to go with Mathurin as opposed to T.J. McConnell, who was seemingly having more of a positive impact on the game. With the series now level at 2-2, Indiana will look to wrestle back control when the two teams meet again Monday.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Pours in 27 points in Game 3 win
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Mathurin registered 27 points (9-12 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 7-8 FT), four rebounds, one assist and one block across 22 minutes during Wednesday's 116-107 victory over the Thunder in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
After a standout performance in Game 2 with 14 points, Mathurin kept his foot on the gas in Game 3, leading all scorers in this contest. He also made a bit of history in the process, becoming the first player in NBA history to put up 25 or more points in the Finals in under 23 minutes. The Pacers will carry a 2-1 series lead into Game 4 on Friday.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Puts up 14 points in loss
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Mathurin recorded 14 points (4-7 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 5-7 FT), two rebounds and one assist in 22 minutes during Sunday's 123-107 loss to Oklahoma City in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
Mathurin, who scored a combined nine points in his previous two outings, was a bright spot in Sunday's loss for Indiana. He's been used pretty sparingly in the postseason with averages of 10.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 16.4 minutes across 17 appearances. However, he may be better suited to make an impact against the Thunder with so many small-ball lineups being utilized.
Mathurin finished with 23 points (6-10 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 9-9 FT) and nine rebounds over 25 minutes during Thursday's 111-94 loss to the Knicks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Mathurin tallied at least 20 points for the second straight game, albeit in a losing effort. Before his two most recent performances, Mathurin had been struggling to have any tangible impact, totaling just 15 points over the previous five games. The Pacers still lead the series 3-2 with Game 6 scheduled for Saturday in Indiana.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Ejected during Game 4
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Mathurin was ejected during Sunday's game after being assessed a Flagrant 2 foul against the Cavaliers, Ethan Sands of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Mathurin got into an altercation with Cavaliers forward De'Andre Hunter in the first quarter of Game 4, resulting in his ejection from the game. The Arizona logged one minute off the bench Sunday, finishing with one rebound before being sent to the locker room.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Goes for 23 points off bench Friday
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Mathurin accumulated 23 points (6-11 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 8-9 FT), one rebound and one steal in 27 minutes during Friday's 126-104 loss to the Cavaliers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Tyrese Haliburton had a rough performance Friday, but Mathurin stepped up on offense and was one of the Pacers' best players throughout the game. His intensity certainly gave the Pacers a huge boost every time he was on the floor, but his fantasy upside will remain limited as long as he remains in a bench role.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Pops for 19 points in win
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Mathurin ended Tuesday's 120-119 win over the Cavaliers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals with 19 points (6-10 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 6-6 FT), two rebounds and one assist over 20 minutes.
Mathurin had arguably his best game of the postseason, scoring 19 points as the Pacers somehow stole Game 2 in front of a disappointed Cavaliers crowd. Having appeared in six games during the playoffs, Mathurin's role seemingly changes from one game to the next. With that said, he has scored double-digit points in two of the team's three home games, a trend that he will look to continue Friday.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Limited to 16 minutes
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Mathurin had five points (2-3 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-4 FT), two rebounds, one assist and three steals over 16 minutes during Tuesday's 119-118 overtime win over the Bucks in Game 5 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
After missing Game 4 due to his abdominal injury, Mathurin returned to a minimal role in Game 5. He did appear to have some words with Giannis Antetokounmpo after the final whistle, but the players were separated before things escalated. With Andrew Nembhard breaking out, Mathurin will have a tough time earning a larger role.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Available for Game 5
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Mathurin (abdomen) has been cleared to play against the Bucks on Tuesday.
After missing Game 4 due to his abdominal injury, Mathurin will be back on the floor Tuesday. The 22-year-old has played in three games during this first-round series, averaging 12.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, shooting 40 percent from the field.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Iffy for Tuesday
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Mathurin (abdomen) is listed as questionable for Tuesday's Game 5 against the Bucks.
Mathurin is in jeopardy of missing his second straight game due to an abdominal contusion. The 22-year-old swingman has made three appearances during the first round, averaging 12.0 points and 3.0 rebounds across 18.7 minutes per contest. If Mathurin remains sidelined, Ben Sheppard will likely see an uptick in playing time.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Won't play in Game 4
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Mathurin (abdomen) has been ruled out for Sunday's Game 4 matchup against the Bucks, Tony East of WTHR Channel 13 Indianapolis reports.
After playing in the first three games of this first-round series, Mathurin will be sidelined Sunday due to an abdominal contusion. The Pacers will likely lean on Ben Sheppard, Aaron Nesmith and Johnny Furphy to help shoulder the load in Game 4.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Questionable for Game 4
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Mathurin is questionable for Game 4 against the Bucks on Sunday due to an abdominal contusion.
Mathurin has played more than 20 minutes in just one of his three appearances in the series, and his playing time has been diminishing with each passing game. Through three games in this first-round matchup, Mathurin is averaging 12.0 points and 3.0 rebounds across 18.7 minutes per game.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Out for regular-season finale
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Mathurin won't play in Sunday's regular-season finale against the Cavaliers due to left calf injury management.
With the Pacers locked into the No. 4 seed, Mathurin, Pascal Siakam (elbow) and Tyrese Haliburton (back) will all take a seat for the regular-season finale. They should all be back in action for Indiana's first-round matchup against the Bucks.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Getting starting nod
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Mathurin is in the starting lineup for Friday's game versus the Magic, Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star reports.
Mathurin will enter the starting lineup Friday due to all five of Indiana's typical starters being ruled out. Mathurin has averaged 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 27.0 minutes across his previous 10 starting appearances.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Scores 13 points off bench
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Mathurin provided 13 points (6-14 FG, 1-5 3Pt), three rebounds, one assist and one steal over 24 minutes during Thursday's 114-112 victory over Cleveland.
Mathurin didn't have his best shooting performance from three-point range, but he still posted a decent line as Indiana secured a two-point win over a resting Cavaliers team. The Pacers will rest most of their starters in the second leg of a back-to-back set Friday against the Magic, so Mathurin should have a sizable uptick in his usage rate in that contest. He'll probably operate as one of the Pacers' go-to offensive options.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Lives at free-throw line in return
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Mathurin (calf) recorded 20 points (4-11 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 12-16 FT), three rebounds, two assists and two steals across 23 minutes Friday in the Pacers' 140-112 win over the Jazz.
Back in action after missing the previous three games due to left calf injury management, Mathurin paced the Pacers bench in scoring thanks largely to his knack for drawing contact. The 16 free-throw tries were a season-high total for Mathurin, who is converting at an 83.4 percent clip on 4.5 attempts per game on the season.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Questionable for Friday
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Mathurin (calf) has been listed as questionable for Friday's game against the Jazz.
A left calf injury has kept Mathurin out for the previous three contests, but he has a chance to return to the court Friday. If cleared to play, Mathurin should serve in his typical sixth-man role.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Not playing Monday
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Mathurin (calf) has been ruled out for Monday's game against Sacramento.
Monday will be the second straight game Mathurin will miss due to left calf soreness, and his next opportunity to take to the court will be Wednesday against Charlotte. Ben Sheppard should see a boost in playing time off the bench with Mathurin sidelined.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Listed out for Saturday
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Mathurin is out for Saturday's game against Thunder due to left calf soreness.
It's a new injury for Mathurin, who sees his next chance to return come Monday against the Kings. Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard should both see an uptick in playing time from the starting lineup in Mathurin's absence, with Ben Sheppard potentially seeing a boost in minutes as well.
