Bennedict Mathurin caught fire in the second half on Wednesday to help lead the Indiana Pacers to a win over the Golden State Warriors at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Mathurin recorded 15 of his 24 total points over the final two quarters in the 125-119 victory. He finished the contest by shooting 8-of-14 from the field, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range, in 36 minutes off the bench. He made all four of his free-throw attempts.
The Pacers went into halftime with a 20-point advantage. The Warriors responded, though, and went on a run, outscoring the Pacers by 14 points in the third period. With the offense stagnant, Mathurin accounted for 11 of the Pacers’ 19 points in the quarter to withstand the Warriors’ run.
“Mathurin was great in the second half,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “He was really great for the whole game but he had some timely shots in the third quarter that kinda kept us going.”
AAANNNNDDD-1.😤
Bennedict Mathurin drives into the lane through contact for the chance at the three-point play. pic.twitter.com/wrnNmdFoBJ
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) December 15, 2022
Mathurin entered the contest mired in a shooting slump.
The sixth pick was averaging 14 points, four rebounds and 1.3 assists on 11.8% shooting from 3-point range (4-of-34) over his last eight games. He worked with Carlisle on some shooting drills this week to help get him back into a groove and it paid off on Wednesday.
“I’ve had a couple of rough games (but) I pretty much tried to stay locked in, try to put the work in and just pretty much try to make shots,” Mathurin said afterward.
Mathurin has often been the subject of much praise from the coaching staff and teammates alike. He plays with poise and maturity well beyond his years and that has resulted in some incredible play through the first third of the season.
He maintained a high level of confidence through his recent slump.
“I feel like my confidence is always going to be the same,” Mathurin said. “If I miss seven 3s, the next one is going up. I was able to make two 3s and then get to the rim so I feel like the next one I’m hot. I feel like my shots are going in and we had a little bit of a run and we were able to win the game.”
Mathurin has emerged as a consistent scorer for the Pacers in the early going and looks to be as advertised as the sixth pick. He has dazzled those within the organization and around the league, and looks to be in store for a tremendous rookie campaign.
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