Bennedict Mathurin balled out tonight as the Clippers destroyed the shorthanded Pacers 130-107 at Los Angeles’ Intuit Dome. This is the first time that Mathurin faced his former team since he was traded in February.
The 23-year-old swingman finished the game with 23 points, eight rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block. Effectively and efficiently stuff the box score and help Kawhi Leonard (29 points, eight rebounds, 10-18 FG, 55.6 FG%) carry the offensive load for the Clippers tonight.
In just 22 minutes of action tonight, Mathurin led the team in net (+/-) rating with a +32 performance. The former Pacers player seems to really be coming into his own as the second option for the Clippers.
Mathurin is currently averaging 19.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while shooting 43.0% from the field. This is his fourth 20+ point performance in his first nine games as a Clippers player.
Rick Carlisle, his former head coach, had a lot of praise for him during the postgame press conference.
“It’s a good situation for him. He’s an NBA scorer, how many times do I need to say it? He came out of the womb with 20 points. That’s a compliment. That’s how easily he scores. They’ve got another Kawhi Leonard-type scorer. It’s a great 1-2 punch for them,” said Carlisle.
The Clippers have improved to 30-31 for the season, nearing the elusive .500 mark that once seemed like an unattainable goal. They are currently ninth in the Western Conference, and one game behind the Warriors in eighth place, but five games behind the Suns in seventh.
As the Clippers progress towards an imminent play-in position at this rate, their next big dilemma is figuring out the second option between Darius Garland and Mathurin. Garland finished tonight with 12 points, eight assists, and four rebounds while shooting 5-10 from the field (50.0 FG%) and 2-4 from beyond the arc (3P%).
In my opinion, if Garland sacrifices on his shots and focuses on playmaking, then the Clippers could have a lethal combination of scoring wings in Kawhi Leonard and Bennedict Mathurin. He has reached the perfect situation for growing his game.
The Clippers also organized a tribute welcoming Ivica Zubac back to the Intuit Dome after spending eight seasons with the team. The Croatian big man is currently sidelined with an ankle sprain and has yet to play his first game in the Pacers’ uniform.
The Pacers are set to host the Clippers on March 27 in what would be Mathurin’s first game returning to the Pacers’ Gainbridge Fieldhouse since they traded him away. It will be interesting to see how the Pacers welcome Mathurin back and how he performs when he goes to Indiana.
