INDIANAPOLIS — When Indiana Pacers guard Benedict Mathurin has the ball in his hands, his No. 1 objective is to get downhill and get to the basket.
It doesn’t matter who’s in his way, be that reigning NBA MVP, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, or longtime friend and fellow Montreal, Quebec, native, Lu Dort; Mathurin is at his best when he’s playing with aggression and looking to score.
Trailing by two with 27 seconds left in overtime, Mathurin had the ball at the top of the key with the floored cleared out, putting him one-on-on with Gilgeous-Alexander. Mathurin dribbled left to right and drove hard toward the OKC star. As the two players collided, Mathurin used an up fake to get Gilgeous-Alexander in the air, giving Mathurin a clear path to basket and a layup, tying the game at 124 and sending the season-opener to a second overtime.
The clutch points were Mathurin’s last of the game. He fouled out early in the second overtime, and OKC pulled away, sending the Pacers to a 141-135 loss. Mathurin led the Pacers with 36 points.
Already without All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton, point guard Andrew Nembhard left Thursday’s game with a shoulder injury, shifting more of a play making and scoring role toward Mathurin and All-Star forward Pascal Siakam. The duo went from rarely playing together last year, to coach Rick Carlisle drawing up actions for them on the fly in the second half. Mathurin appears ready to embrace a larger role, but he’s not shying away from his strengths.
“Pascal’s a great player, I know he can score and play make. So for me to get the ball in my hands going downhill and create something out of nothing, that’s one of my best gifts,” Mathurin said.
Without Nembhard, Siakam and Mathurin shifted into play-making roles. The duo set screens for each other and looked natural playing together. Siakam said they’ll learn a lot from upcoming film sessions, but the nine-year vet is confident their skills will mesh well for longer periods of time.
“Being able to both attack the paint, create, I think just understanding each other’s angles a little bit better, how we can screen off of each other,” Siakam said. “I thought there was times where we could have been better at that, but I think for me, we know how aggressive (Mathurin) is. I love his aggressiveness, the fact that he can get to the paint. He’s strong, and was making shots also. So I think that combination with me being able to get to the pocket and also improving as a shooter, I think it could be a good combination.”
Mathurin’s improvement as a shooter will add another element to the Pacers offense. He hit a contested step-back 3-pointer over Dort to retake the lead midway through the fourth quarter. Later in the quarter, he used his strong frame to power through Dort and finish with a floater. Mathurin scored 15 of his 36 in the fourth.
Mathurin said he wasn’t looking to force anything on offense, adding that his focus is on making the right basketball play. If the Pacers are without Nembhard for an extended period of time, Mathurin must continue to show growth as an all-around player.
“I have the ability. I’m very, very confident to have the ball in my hands and make something happen,” Mathurin said. “I was fortunate enough to make a few good plays tonight. I’m looking forward to watching film and improving from tonight’s game.”
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