Bennedict Mathurin, the Indiana Pacers’ rookie guard nearly earned himself an ejection in the opening 12 minutes of Game 4. He was facing off against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The altercation, which has received a great deal of national attention, started when the Pacers were trying to inbound the ball. Mathurin received a flagrant foul 2 after he extended a closed fist towards the midsection of Cavaliers forward De’Andre Hunter.
In the very, short, single minute that Mathurin received, he was unable to score. Because he played a significant role in instigating the fight, his punishment was harsher. This ejection represents a pivotal instance in the series. This came right after Mathurin’s over the top foul in Game 1, which already had coaches and analysts laughing with concern.
After Game 1, an ominous tone was set in terms of how Mathurin’s play would be under a microscope. Thereafter, he spiked Hunter’s layup off the glass, leading Hunter to sprain his right thumb on the play. This injury would ultimately cost Hunter Game 2. Recently, Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson lauded Mathurin’s aggressive approach in taking the fight to defenders. The longer Winslow watches, the more he’s noticing how Mathurin is changing the dynamic of games.
So Mathurin’s game-changing actions of Game 4 made an in-game impact. They were fanning the flames of an already extremely contentious playoff series. As the Pacers face a precarious roster situation as is, they’ll have to adjust to not having Mathurin sooner rather than later.
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