Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin Gets Into Scrum With Pelicans After Loss

Ricardo Klein | Nov 2, 2024

Nov 1, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) drives to the basket against New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Indian Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin got into a little scuffle after the team's loss to the Pelicans on Friday night.

After the game, you could see Mathurin get into a scuffle with Pelicans guard Jordan Hawkins and a couple of Pelicans players in mid-court.

Here’s postgame interaction https://t.co/nNsW1dV7FH pic.twitter.com/mmUhjYs6IY

— Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) November 2, 2024

It appeared that Mathurin did not like what Hawkins said to him after the game. Luckily, the situation didn't escalate, but it was big enough to cause a scene.

The Pelicans defeated the Pacers in New Orleans, 125-118. Mathurin was solid in his Friday outing. He recorded 19 points, the second-leading scorer of the team, along with six rebounds, three assists, and one turnover in 32 minutes and shot 7-for-15 from the field.

The team's leading scorer was guard Ben Sheppard, who scored 20 points on 7-for-12 shooting from the field off the bench. He also recorded one assist and three rebounds.

The Pacers now drop to 2-4 early in the season and have one more game before they return home on Wednesday.

Pelicans star Zion Williamson scored 34 points and 10 assists, and Brandon Ingram added 26 points, as the team snapped its three-game skid.

Hawkins was lights out from the bench. In 37 minutes, he added 23 points, four rebounds, and one assist.

It was a tough game for the Pacers as injuries appeared left and right. Although it is just the start of the season, injuries have hurt the Pacers thus far, and their energy in the fourth quarter was not that compared to the Pelicans.

A key moment appeared with less than five minutes left in the game. Pacers forward Pascal Siakam was called for an offensive foul, wiping out a fast-break basket for the lead, and coach Rick Carlisle was called for a technical foul. 

Ingram made the technical free throw and hit a jumper after that to give New Orleans a 109-105 lead with 4:51 to go.

New Orleans converted 14 Indiana turnovers into 21 points and 15 offensive rebounds into 14 second-chance points. The Pacers shot the ball better than the Pelcian, shooting 51 percent from the field and 42 percent from three.

However, turnovers and rebounding hurt them in the long run. They had more turnovers, 14-8, and they were outrebounded, 46-39.

Indiana will play the Dallas Mavericks for their next game on Monday in Dallas. The game on Monday will be the final of their mini-two-game road trip.

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