2 Studs, 1 dud from Indiana Pacers loss to Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
By Jack Simone
Dud - Bennedict Mathurin
After a string of amazing performances that had Indiana Pacers fans hopeful for a potential Bennedict Mathurin sophomore season surge, the youngster came crashing back down to earth against the Indiana Pacers.
Once again, Mathurin didn’t play 30+ minutes, and he only ended up taking 11 shots against the 76ers. Indiana is clearly prioritizing winning, and when Mathurin doesn’t have it, he’s not going to play as much or get as many shots.
It was simply an extremely off night for the 21-year-old wing, as he ended up playing fewer minutes than Aaron Nesmith, who came off the bench for the Pacers.
Mathurin finished the contest with nine points, five rebounds, one assist, and one block while shooting just 4-of-11 from the field and 0-of-3 from behind the three-point line.
To fully put Mathurin’s performance into perspective, one quick look at his +/- tells the story. Mathurin was a team-worst -24 on the night, and the second-worst mark on the team was Andrew Nembhard’s -15.
Indiana is looking to Mathurin to blossom into the second star they need on their roster, but they also can’t afford to let him play through some of the mishaps he deals with as they look to win basketball games.
It’s still early, but inconsistency is quickly becoming the theme of Mathurin’s sophomore season.