Sunday night’s outing against the Orlando Magic came to an unfortunate end for the Los Angeles Clippers. A 111-109 loss certainly hurts, but Bennedict Mathurin‘s missed game-winning shot opportunity will certainly sting even more.
For obvious reasons, missing a three-pointer to win the game continues to be on Bennedict Mathurin’s mind. However, while speaking with Clippers beat writer Joey Linn, Mathurin revealed that Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard had been consoling him, showcasing support for his new teammate.
“It means a lot,” Mathurin shared. “In my opinion, he’s one of the greatest players to ever play the game. So to have him come show love and show support that there’s many more ahead of me. For a guy who’s made a lot of those shots, it was great to see.”
The closing seconds of the Clippers-Magic game were hectic. After a huge block by Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Los Angeles broke away in transition with an opportunity to either win it all or tie the game.
A double-team on Kawhi Leonard after the dribble hand-off resulted in Mathurin having a clean look at the basket on the wing. Although Leonard swung the ball over to the Clippers’ guard, his shot attempt went marginally long, bouncing out after hitting the back of the rim.
BENNEDICT MATHURIN WAS SO CLOSE TO A GAME-WINNER FOR HIS NEW TEAM 😯 pic.twitter.com/w146OFeyCO
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 23, 2026
Although the loss hurts, the faith shown by Leonard in Bennedict Mathurin is far more promising. Thus, despite the loss, Los Angeles may have some positive takeaways from this performance.
Bennedict Mathurin Is Adjusting To A New Role
The Los Angeles Clippers’ acquisition of Bennedict Mathurin was a drastic shift away from the team’s approach at the beginning of the campaign. While the team initially focused on bringing in reliable veterans, acquiring Mathurin and Darius Garland via trade essentially saw L.A. pivot and focus on the future.
Naturally, this also implied significant changes for Bennedict Mathurin, who was embracing a new role in the Clippers’ rotation.
While Mathurin has already asserted himself as a gifted young wing with tremendous two-way potential, the Clippers appear to be molding him to play the role of secondary star next to Kawhi Leonard. Having recorded a 38-point performance against the Nuggets, the 23-year-old has also shown the capability to fill this role.
During his time with the Indiana Pacers this season, Mathurin averaged 17.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. In just four games with the Los Angeles Clippers, he is averaging 22.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game.
Although the sample size is small, the uptick in his scoring production may suggest what he could bring to the table. Thus, even though Kawhi Leonard doesn’t have much faith in the Clippers’ chances this season, with his future with the franchise also being brought into question, developing Mathurin into a star may prove to be quite worthwhile for L.A.
