Bennedict Mathurin shows efficiency with 38 points

by Junna Base November 11, 2024

INDIANAPOLIS — Tyrese Haliburton stole a pass from Karl-Anthony Towns, noticed Bennedict Mathurin running next to him and saw an opportunity to do what he used to do with his former teammate Buddy Hield. Mathurin was on the ball from outside and Haliburton saw an opportunity to get him in for another three-pointer that might have put the game away.

The Pacers had a 4-on-2 breakaway with second-year winger Ben Sheppard running to the right corner, All-Star forward Pascal Siakam running up the middle to the rim and Mathurin running along the slot. Knicks All-NBA guard Jalen Brunson and defensive ace OG Anunoby backed up and tried to keep up, so Haliburton slowed just enough for Siakam to pass him and force Anunoby to follow him into the lane, then dribbled just inside 3-pointer arc to force Brunson to honor the drive. Then he turned his back to the basket and hit Mathurin on the right elbow with a short, loose jump pass. He stopped and stared at Mathurin, sure his 25-foot plane would go in before the third-grader even let go of it, and roared cheeringly at him when it did.

That 3 was Mathurin’s career-high seventh on the night on just nine attempts and gave him a career-high 38 points in a game where the Pacers desperately needed him and several others to step up with five rotation players, including two starters, out with injuries . That gave Indiana a 13-point lead with 2:07 left and secured a 132-121 victory over the Knicks in a rematch in the Eastern Conference semifinals. A win that brought the Pacers back to 5-5, and a surprising result given the Pacers’ lack of players and the fact that the Knicks outscored them by 25 in the second game this season at Madison Square Garden. It was also symbolic of the Pacers’ manifestation of their vision for Mathurin, a supremely talented one-on-one scorer whose edges they have tried to sand down to fit one of the round holes of their hyperkinetic offense. His performance on Sunday was the best sign yet that he is actually fit.

The shot was just part of the most productive and efficient performance of Mathurin’s career. He was 13 of 18 from the floor and 5 of 6 from the free throw line overall on Sunday, while also grabbing eight rebounds and blocking a shot. He provided two assists, turned the ball over just once and posted a plus-minus rating of +16 in 41 minutes and 25 seconds on the court.

“Benn Mathurin was absolutely breathtaking,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “Efficient. Physically tough. … When he gets going like he did today, he’s a real hit. He’ll be a hit.”

The Pacers knew Mathurin was a slam dunk when they took him out of Arizona. That’s why they selected the former All-American at No. 6 overall in the 2022 draft, making him their first pick in the top nine since George McCloud went No. 7 in 1989 and their highest pick since Rik Smits at No. 2 Overall in 1988, he averaged 16.7 points per game as a rookie, becoming the first player since Smits in 1989 to earn All-Rookie honors. first-team wins, third-most rookie in Pacers history behind Clark Kellogg in 1982-83 and Chuck Person in 1986-87.

But even in that rookie year, it became clear that the Pacers would build on Haliburton’s offensive philosophy and not Mathurin’s image, regardless of the selection they invested in him. The Pacers wanted to run, and they wanted the ball to move constantly, and they wanted to throw more passes than any other team in the league. Mathurin sometimes likes to take his time attacking isolated opponents, and while he often wins these situations, this approach doesn’t always work. He could still control the ball, but they wanted him to make quicker decisions and make quick catch-and-shoot threes instead of constantly looking for rebounds off the dribble. In addition, they also needed him to be a better defender and rebounder.

Progress was sporadic last year as he averaged 14.5 points per game and his efficiency numbers rose slightly. He shot 37.4% from 3-point range after shooting just 32.3% from 3-point range in his rookie season. However, they had other players like Hield (before he was substituted) and striker Aaron Nesmith who fit more seamlessly into the offense, so Mathurin was unable to hold down a starting position and had to come off the bench. He was still a productive part of the rotation, but had his season ended early due to a torn labrum in March. He watched the Pacers’ playoffs from the sidelines, noting that their approach – which produced the highest-scoring and second-most efficient offense in the NBA – was effective enough to win without him and that he had to find a way fit his game into it.

Mathurin took that lesson seriously and it was especially evident in the last five games as he found himself in the starting lineup due to injuries to starting shooting guard Andrew Nembhard and small forward Aaron Nesmith. During this stretch, he is averaging 23.0 points per game while shooting 55.1% from the floor and 60% from 3-point range (12, of 20).

“Obviously last year he had to sit, he wanted to be on the floor to experience that with us on the floor,” Haliburton said. “It sucked not having him out there. He answered the bell and was ready to play. You know who he is and how hard he works and what a good scorer and player he is. “Honestly, he just does what he does.” It’s not a surprise to anyone in the locker room. He just plays right.

For part of that stretch, Mathurin did what he always did, and the Pacers needed him to play in isolation. Haliburton struggled, which resulted in the Pacers’ offense not being able to operate at full speed. He scored 22 points against Charlotte on Friday while the Pacers scored just 83 points as a team. He had 20 against the Magic on Wednesday, 13 of which came at the free throw line because he was driving the ball and making so much contact.

But Haliburton looked good on Sunday, recording 35 points and 14 assists, allowing Mathurin to show how he could operate in a fast-paced, burst-ball offense.

Mathurin’s first two 3-pointers, much like the last, were catch-and-shoot shots on Haliburton courts. He knocked down three more, each of which he completed exactly two dribbles, including one when he came off a ball screen. His step-back 3 in the second quarter, where he played with Knicks Jericho Sims for five dribbles before raising his right elbow, was the only 3 he hit where the ball actually stuck.

The six two-point shots he made required similarly quick decision-making. He hit two jumpers just above the free throw line, which were two-dribble pull-ups. On two other drives he found open lanes for layups, one of which was in transition. He got another layup on a cut through the lane and another on a putback from an offensive rebound. He scored his 38 points without seeming dominant on every ball.

“I’m just taking shots,” Mathurin said. “It went in and I just kept doing it. I was able to get the passport from Ty, or whoever was looking for me.”

It was the next step in an ongoing development this year. This season, Mathurin is averaging 19.4 points per game on 55.3% shooting, including 44.7% from 3-point range, making 19 of 38 attempts in 10 games. He has never shot such high clips, either in college or professionally.

“It doesn’t feel forced,” Siakam said. “It just feels like it’s part of the offense. That’s where his development will come from, just finding ways to be the killer that he is in what we do. I think tonight was a perfect example of just getting the shots. “If that’s not the case, then we’ll just keep playing. If he runs like he did today, we just have to get him the ball.

Carlisle said the way Mathurin shoots comes largely from how he moves without the ball. The coach was on guard, sprinting across the field at every rally, and noted that he had to point that out to him on Sunday, too.

However, after he made the adjustment, more options presented themselves, and that was the case for most of this sea.

“He’s shooting better,” Carlisle said when asked if Mathurin’s mechanics had improved. “So if you want to call it a mechanic, if you get better shots, your mechanics are going to look a lot better. Do you know? His spacing is better. His recognition on drives (is better.) Last year he had a lot of people and the whistle didn’t blow, especially in the second half of the year when they started to play the game differently. He’s a third-year player who is getting more experienced and understanding the game better.”

Mathurin’s defense is showing signs of improvement and his rebounding has been noticeably better. The 6-6, 210-pounder has muscle and athletic explosiveness, but he averaged just 4.1 rebounds as a rookie and 4.0 last season. This year he is scoring 6.1 points per game, trailing only center Myles Turner and power forward Pascal Siakam.

Mathurin’s growth couldn’t come at a more critical time. They have struggled to find their form from last season and will be shorthanded for at least a few more weeks. Carlisle said in his pregame press conference on Sunday that Nesmith is out until at least December with his sprained left ankle and Nembhard is out at least two more weeks. These two have handled the two best perimeter defensive duties over the past two seasons. Nesmith was a strong catch-and-shoot 3-point option and Nembhard served as a secondary ball handler to help Haliburton find space to move away from the ball.

The Pacers will need a lot to make up for their absences, but so far Mathurin is doing a lot by being the player he and the Pacers hoped he would be.

“I just take what the defense gives me,” Mathurin said, “and shoot the ball with confidence.”

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