Bennedict Mathurin closes out Chicago Bulls with excellent fourth quarter: 'I like adversity a lot'
Bennedict Mathurin has had numerous big moments during his rookie season with the Indiana Pacers. He had an 18-point quarter in the midst of a 30-point game against the Denver Nuggets back in November. In October, he finished with 32 points in a big win over the Brooklyn Nets. He had 27 points in the Pacers first win of the season.
The rookie is no stranger to taking over games. On Tuesday night, he did it again, but this one had added importance. Mathurin hit clutch shot after clutch shot, taking the game over in the fourth quarter as the Pacers came back to beat the Chicago Bulls. It was perhaps the best fourth quarter of Mathurin's young career.
In the final frame alone, the sixth overall pick knocked down six of his seven shot attempts. He nailed two free throws and grabbed a rebound. In the end, he finished the quarter with 15 points — nearly half of the Pacers total — as he helped the team end its seven-game losing streak. It was a fantastic performance at a needed time for the Pacers.
"He's one of those guys that, he's confident. He works his ass off each and every day," Pacers guard Buddy Hield said after the game. "No surprise to see him make plays like that."
Mathurin had six of Indiana's 11 made shots in the final quarter. He played all 12 minutes of the frame, head coach Rick Carlisle couldn't take him out of the game with the way he was playing.
The Pacers actually trailed 108-107 with 1:13 to go in the game, but Mathurin hit a three pointer just 12 seconds later to give Indiana the lead. Chicago tied the game on their next possession, but Mathurin knocked down a layup with 29.2 seconds to go that gave the blue and gold the lead for the final time of the night. With the game hanging in the balance, Mathurin stepped up.
"I like adversity. I like adversity a lot," Mathurin said after the game. He said that when the Pacers are losing, he feeds off of that feeling. Playing from behind gives him a boost.
Mathurin moved back to the Pacers bench three games ago after a short stint in the starting five. Since going back to the second unit, Mathurin has had games of 19, 23, and 26 points. His role has changed often, both in terms of the rotation and play style, while Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton has been out. But Mathurin has taken it in stride. He is averaging 19.4 points per game in Indiana's last eight games.
On Tuesday, that ever-changing role led to Mathurin having more opportunities to attack around screens. He drove to the rim and made plays in the pick-and-roll more often than he has in games past, and it helped him get to the rim for easy looks. "I was in a lot of ball screens today, and I feel like I'm pretty good going downhill," Mathurin said after the game.
The rookie made 10 shots during the game, and outside of his clutch three-point shot, all of them came from 16-feet away or closer. Only one of his two-point shots came without both feet outside of the paint. Mathurin found driving lanes and seized them, which led to easy points.
In the end, his late-game burst helped Indiana win the final quarter 36-23. Mathurin finished the game with 26 points, tied for the fourth-most he's had in a game this campaign. He was brilliant down the stretch, and it helped the Pacers get a much-needed 116-110 win.
"This is where he's unique to most rookies. Where a lot of rookies are hitting the wall and losing steam, he's actually gaining momentum," Carlisle said after the game. "He knew a game like this was coming... We certainly couldn't have won [the game] without him."
The rookie has been like this all year, dating back to just after the draft. He was turning heads during his first practices with the Pacers, and he did well in offseason exhibitions. Mathurin scored 23 points in his first summer league game and hasn't looked back.
"As soon as he stepped on the floor. You could just tell the difference," Jermaine Samuels, who played in summer league with Mathurin and was with the Pacers for part of training camp, said of Mathurin. "It's just his energy, his confidence. It's just very brazen, it's right there in front of your face.
"He's going to be a great player. He's going to be in this league for a long time," Samuels added. With performances like the one Mathurin had on Tuesday night, like the ones he had earlier this season, and like the ones he had in summer league, it certainly looks like Samuels is going to be right.
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