With Tyrese Haliburton still out with an injury, the have had to sort things out without their superstar point guard, who has been the driving force behind their success this season.
Indiana made a significant deal for who has taken over as the Pacers’ pri Indiana Pacersmary All-Star with Haliburton out, but they are clearly eager to see both of them on the court together.
Pascal Siakam,
However, on Saturday night against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Pacers were once again forced to play without Haliburton, but they came through.
Despite battling with numerous injuries, the Grizzlies have been playing very well. However, Indiana was too much for them to handle, and Benedict Mathurin led the way.
Mathurin came off the bench for the Pacers, but he was extremely dominant, leading the club in scoring with an effective performance that helped them defeat the Grizzlies.
After the game, Mathurin discussed what Memphis’ defence showed him that allowed him to take control. (H/T to Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star)
“The main thing for me was just to keep the game simple,” Mathurin remarked. “Just try to get out there and make an effect. It was working. It was working; I was scoring and involving my teammates. It was simply knowing what the defence handed me. They gave me drives early on. “I was applying pressure to the rim.”
The Grizzlies allowed Mathurin, who was one of the league’s greatest free throw shooters in his rookie season, to go to the rim and establish a rhythm.
Mathurin completed the game with 24 points, seven rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block, shooting an outstanding 9-of-14 from the field and 3-of-5 from three.
Meanwhile, with Haliburton out, the Pacers’ other four players finished with at least 15 points: Pascal Siakam, Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard, and Jalen Smith.
Leave a Reply