Following their brutal beatdown of the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night, the Indiana Pacers entered Wednesday night riding a high, and in their game against the Utah Jazz, they kept on riding.
The Pacers absolutely destroyed the Jazz in the fourth quarter, turning what was once a close game into a second straight blowout for Indiana, who is now 5-3 on the year.
Indiana was only up by six points at the start of the fourth. However, over the course of the final period, they turned that lead into a 134-118 victory.
But as is the case with every game, there are some players who played well and others that didn’t. Let’s take a look at two studs and one dud from the Pacers’ win over the Jazz.
Stud - Aaron Nesmith
Heading into the year, Aaron Nesmith was set to lose his starting spot, and that has happened. However, it hasn’t stopped him from playing top-notch basketball.
Against the Utah Jazz, Nesmith put up great numbers, showing off why the Indiana Pacers invested in him with a new contract extension ahead of the season.
In 30:12 off the bench, Nesmith finished the game with 24 points, two rebounds, and two steals while shooting 9-of-13 from the floor and 4-of-6 from distance. His performance included 10 points in the fourth quarter alone, where he shot 4-of-5 overall and 2-of-2 from distance.
With how well Nesmith has been playing, he should be one of the key figures in the Pacers’ rotation moving forward, and based on Wednesday night, it seems as though Rick Carlisle realizes that.
Dud - Obi Toppin
When the Indiana Pacers traded for Obi Toppin over the summer, they got a guy who was desperate for more minutes after not getting many opportunities with the New York Knicks.
Throughout the early portion of the season so far, Toppin has been alright, but it’s been a bit of an up-and-down season for the 25-year-old forward, who has started in every contest.
In this game, Toppin didn't see much playing time, as guys like Aaron Nesmith and Jalen Smith outplayed him in their roles off the bench. Toppin only ended up playing 19:16, which was the second-least among all nine players who touched the floor for Indiana. (Andrew Nembhard played 19:11.)
The reason behind his lack of playing time was simple - he wasn’t the best option to have on the court. With the Pacers looking to win, Carlisle will prioritize whoever is playing best, and against the Utah Jazz, that wasn’t Toppin.
Toppin ended the night with six points, one rebound, three steals, and one block while shooting 3-of-7 from the field and 0-of-3 from behind the three-point arc. He was also a -5 on the night, the worst number on the team and one of only two players with a negative +/- (Tyrese Haliburton was a -1).
As the Pacers continue to traverse throughout the season, Toppin’s play with be something to monitor, as there are plenty of players on the roster who could be chomping at the bit to take his minutes.
Stud - Bennedict Mathurin
Ahead of this contest, there had been a ton of discourse surrounding the play of Bennedict Mathurin, as through the first seven games of the year, the sophomore wing has been struggling.
After his amazing rookie season, Mathurin’s minutes and shot attempts were both down, and most importantly, his efficiency was brutal from both the field and from distance.
However, against the Utah Jazz, Mathurin was one of the best players on the court for the Indiana Pacers, as he put up stellar numbers across the board.
Mathurin finished the contest with a team-high 22 points (tied with Myles Turner), nine rebounds, four assists, and two steals while shooting 9-of-18 from the floor and 4-of-7 from behind the three-point line. He was also a team-high +18.
At 21 years old, Mathurin is bound to deal with some struggles, but this is the type of night the Pacers want to see from him as he continues to develop as a player.
He has all the tools to be a second star on this Pacers team next to Haliburton, but he needs to churn out these types of performances on a more consistent basis.
Mathurin was the best player on the court for Indiana against the Jazz, and a big reason why they were able to walk away with a victory.