The Indiana Pacers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in a blowout Game 4 victory to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series. With the Pacers needing just one more win to make it to the second round, they are in the driver's seat and are in a great position.
Outside of their 16-point loss in Game 3, the Pacers have been in clear control of the whole series. They have outmatched the Bucks in many ways and are executing their game plan perfectly. Furthermore, the Pacers are playing well on both sides of the ball, which bodes well for the rest of their playoff run.
While things have mostly been good for the Pacers, there is one potentially negative aspect that fans will want to monitor the rest of the way, especially after Game 4.
The Pacers could be prepared to move on from a major role player
Game 4 was easily the Pacers' best performance of the playoffs so far. They scored 129 points on 60.2% shooting from the field and 46.2% shooting from the three-point line. Furthermore, they won the rebounding battle and played well on the defensive side of the ball as well, even against Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored 28 points on 9-for-20 shooting.
While the team played its best basketball of the series up to this point, they were notably without Bennedict Mathurin, who missed the game due to an abdominal bruise. With Mathurin on the shelf, the Pacers relied more heavily on Jarace Walker, who played well during his time on the court. Even without Mathurin playing, the Pacers did not skip a beat and looked even better than they had all series.
Mathurin also has not played well against Milwaukee. In his three games played in the series, the Canadian native is averaging 12 points and 3 rebounds while shooting 40% from the field and 14.3% from the three-point line. Additionally, while Mathurin is a fantastic player, the Pacers have proven they can win without him, especially during their conference finals run last year.
In his third season in Indiana, Mathurin has developed into a much more well-rounded player. However, there are still concerns about his long-term fit with the team. He is still primarily an iso scorer, which is not ideal in the Pacers' system. With Walker's recent development, a Mathurin trade could be on the horizon.
It is also important to remember that Mathurin is eligible for a rookie-scale contract extension this summer. For most of the season, it seemed like a no-brainer that the Pacers would extend Mathurin. However, things may have changed, especially since the Pacers reportedly do not want to pay the luxury tax next season and also need to give Myles Turner a new contract.
There is still a lot of basketball left for the Pacers. However, as it stands, trading Mathurin in the offseason for financial flexibility and to raise the ceiling of the team could be a legitimate option.