Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Unproductive again Monday
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Mathurin notched 11 points (4-10 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 3-5 FT) and four rebounds over 22 minutes during Monday's 114-110 loss to the Trail Blazers.
Mathurin offered very little again Monday, continuing his poor run of late. Since moving to the bench, it's been a whole lot of nothing for the sophomore. Although he has scored at least 10 points in four of the past five games, he has shot over 50 percent only once while adding basically nothing in terms of peripheral production. Despite the upside, Mathurin is a drop candidate in standard leagues.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Heading to bench
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Mathurin isn't in the starting five for Tuesday's game versus the Hawks, Scott Agness of FieldhouseFiles.com reports.
Mathurin will be replaced by Buddy Hield in the starting lineup Tuesday. This is a surprising move, as Mathurin is averaging 15.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 28.2 minutes across his last five appearances. The second-year forward could still receive a similar amount of playing time as normal despite coming off the bench.
Mathurin posted 14 points (4-12 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 5-5 FT), six rebounds, three assists and one steal across 25 minutes before fouling out of Sunday's 128-116 loss to Orlando.
Mathurin led all Pacers starters in scoring while hauling in a team-high rebound mark despite playing just 25 minutes due to foul trouble. Mathurin has tallied at least 10 points and five rebounds on three occasions this season, all of which have occurred over his last five games.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Limited impact in win
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Mathurin racked up eight points (3-8 FG, 2-4 3Pt) in 16 minutes during Tuesday's 132-126 victory over the 76ers.
Mathurin was held to a single-digit scoring total for a second consecutive matchup and was unable to generate any production in secondary categories. Although he remained in the starting lineup Tuesday, the 21-year-old was limited to just 16 minutes, his second-lowest total of the season.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Season-best outing in win
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Mathurin racked up 26 points (9-18 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 5-6 FT), 11 rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal across 36 minutes during Thursday's 126-124 victory over Milwaukee.
Mathurin has his best outing of the season, leading all Pacers in rebounds while finishing with his first double-double of the year. Mathurin set season-high marks in both scoring and rebounds in the win and has now had two straight games with at least 20 points and nine rebounds.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Just misses double-double
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Mathurin had 22 points (9-18 FG, 4-7 3Pt), nine rebounds, four assists and two steals over 38 minutes during Wednesday's 134-118 win over the Jazz.
The 22 points and four three-pointers were season-best marks for Mathurin, while the second-year guard fell one board shy of his first double-double of 2023-24. After a strong rookie campaign, the 21-year-old has had a little trouble getting going to kick off his sophomore season with the Pacers, scoring 10 points or less in four of eight games, but Wednesday's big performance could be a sign he's heating up.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Failing to impress
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Mathurin provided eight points (3-11 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), five rebounds, five assists and one steal in 24 minutes during Saturday's 125-124 loss to the Hornets.
Mathurin's inefficiency on nights when he fails to earn free throws is a troubling trend. He's shooting just 39.3 percent from the field and 20.0 percent from beyond the arc through Indiana's first six games, but he's drawing shooting fouls on 15.8 percent of his possessions. His foul-drawing frequency ranks fourth among all wings and second among all combo guards in the league this season, making Mathurin a sneaky bounce-back candidate.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Good to go Wednesday
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Mathurin (elbow) will play Wednesday against the Celtics, Jared Weiss of The Athletic reports.
Mathurin and Tyrese Haliburton (ankle) both suffered injuries during Monday's loss to the Bulls and were initially listed as questionable for Wednesday's game. While Mathurin has been cleared, Haliburton has been ruled out, so the former may see an uptick in usage with Indiana down its No. 1 offensive weapon.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Listed as questionable
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Mathurin (elbow) is questionable for Wednesday's matchup against the Celtics.
Mathurin suffered the injury during the first half of Monday's loss to the Bulls, but he finished the contest and scored nine second-half points. If the second-year wing is sidelined, Buddy Hield, Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard would be candidates for increased playing time.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Dealing with right elbow injury
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Mathurin didn't practice Tuesday due to a right elbow injury, Tony East of SI.com reports.
Mathurin reportedly suffered the injury during the first half of Monday's loss to the Bulls, but he still scored nine second-half points (2-6 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 4-4 FT). Given the injury is to his shooting elbow, the Pacers will presumably proceed with caution. Coach Rick Carlisle said Mathurin will, at best, be listed as questionable for Wednesday's matchup in Boston. If Mathurin is sidelined, Buddy Hield, Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard would be candidates for increased roles.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Well-rounded stat line in win
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Mathurin amassed 18 points (6-15 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 4-4 FT), four rebounds, five assists and two steals in 26 minutes during Wednesday's 143-120 win over the Wizards.
Mathurin started in just 17 of 78 appearances last year, but he unsurprisingly took on a starting role during Wednesday's regular-season opener. He saw plenty of looks from the floor and also had an encouraging assist total after averaging just 1.5 assists per game last year. The 21-year-old should have an opportunity to take on a fairly prominent role for the Pacers during his second professional season.
The Pacers exercised the third-year team option on Mathurin's rookie-scale contract Friday, Tony East of SI.com reports.
Mathurin is now under contract through 2024-25 and will have another team option for the following season. The second-year forward started in 17 of his 78 appearances last season and is expected to begin the 2023-24 regular season in the starting lineup.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Puts up 14 points Tuesday
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Mathurin recorded 14 points (4-10 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 5-5 FT), five rebounds and an assist across 18 minutes in Tuesday's 122-103 preseason loss to the Rockets.
It's unclear whether Mathurin will be a starter or a bench option once the regular season rolls around, but it's worth noting he led the starting unit in field-goal attempts among starters in this game while logging only 18 minutes. Mathurin had a strong rookie season in 2022-23, and regardless of his role in 2023-24, he should be a fantasy asset in most formats due to his scoring prowess and offensive ability.
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Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Fills stat sheet
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Mathurin delivered 18 points (7-13 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds and two assists across 22 minutes Sunday, as the Pacers fell 127-122 in overtime to Memphis.
Mathurin's scoring in limited minutes is symbolic of his aggressive offensive mentality. Mathurin averaged 5.8 free-throw attempts per game last season, which is an elite mark for a rookie. After shooting just 32.3 percent from deep in 2022-23, commanding more respect as a floor spacer will enable his downhill attacking, making it a pivotal trend to monitor this season.
