Mathurin (ankle) amassed 18 points (7-10 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 3-4 FT), three rebounds, two assists and one steal in 30 minutes during Monday's 115-109 loss to the Hornets.
Head coach Rick Carlisle inserted Mathurin in the starting five after missing the Pacers' previous four games, and the rookie didn't exhibit any rust while taking on a healthy minutes load. The Pacers are running low on bodies with Tyrese Haliburton (knee) and Chris Duarte (ankle) having both missed multiple games, so Mathurin looks as though he could be in store for an expanded role on offense in the contests to come now that he's moved past his own injury.
... See More... See Less
Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Will start Monday
Rotowire
Mathurin (ankle) will start Monday's game against the Hornets.
Mathurin will slide right into the starting lineup during his first appearance following a four-game absence due to an ankle injury. The rookie first-round pick has drawn only six previous starts this season, averaging 14.5 points and 4.2 rebounds in 28.8 minutes during those contests. In a corresponding move, Jordan Nwora will shift to a bench role.
... See More... See Less
Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Cleared for action
Rotowire
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said Mathurin (ankle) will play Monday against the Hornets, Sam Perley of the Hornets' official site reports.
Mathurin participated in the team's morning shootaround and has been cleared to return following a four-game absence due to an ankle injury. It's unclear how many minutes he'll play in his first game since March 9, but his presence will likely mean fewer minutes for Jordan Nwora. Before his injury, Mathurin had scored in double figures in eight of his previous 10 appearances, averaging 15.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals-plus-blocks in 28.3 minutes during that stretch.
... See More... See Less
Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Participates in shootaround
Rotowire
Mathurin (ankle) remains questionable for Monday's game against in Charlotte, but he participated in Indiana's morning shootaround, Jeremiah Johnson of Bally Sports Indiana reports.
Mathurin is certainly trending in the right direction and could return to action following a four-game absence, but his official availability likely won't be known until closer to the 7:00 p.m. ET tipoff. His potential return would likely impact Jordan Nwora's minutes.
... See More... See Less
Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Questionable Monday
Rotowire
Mathurin (ankle) is questionable for Monday's game in Charlotte.
Mathurin has missed the past four games, but this is the first time he's been hit with the questionable tag, which suggests he's getting close. If the rookie is able to return, Jordan Nwora's minutes would likely dip.
... See More... See Less
Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Ruled out Thursday
Rotowire
Mathurin (ankle) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Bucks, Tony East of SI.com reports.
Mathurin will miss a third consecutive game and doesn't yet have a clear timetable to return, but coach Rick Carlisle said Thursday that the 20-year-old is doing better and could travel with the Pacers for their road trip next week. Chris Duarte and Andrew Nembhard will likely see increased roles once again Thursday.
... See More... See Less
Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Likely to sit Thursday
Rotowire
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said Monday that Mathurin (ankle) is "making some real positive strides with his rehab," but the coach declined to offer a timeline for the rookie to rejoin the lineup, Tony East of SI.com reports. "The hope is that he won't be out for long," Carlisle added.
Mathurin missed his second straight game in Monday's 117-97 loss to the Pistons while he recovers from the right ankle sprain he sustained in last Thursday's win over Houston. Given that Mathurin didn't make the trip with the Pacers to Detroit on Monday, he appears unlikely to be available for the final game of the road trip Thursday in Milwaukee. However, the Pacers have yet to provide an official update on his status for that contest.
... See More... See Less
Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Out again Monday
Rotowire
Mathurin (ankle) has been ruled out for Monday's matchup against the Pistons.
Mathurin will miss back-to-back games due to a right ankle sprain. It's unclear when he'll be able to suit up again, but his next chance to do so will arrive Thursday in Milwaukee. In his absence, Chris Duarte and Andrew Nembhard are candidates for increased roles.
... See More... See Less
Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Ruled out Saturday
Rotowire
Mathurin (ankle) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against Detroit.
Mathurin suffered a right ankle sprain early in Thursday's game against the Rockets and will officially miss one additional matchup. Coach Rick Carlisle also said Thursday that he doesn't expect Mathurin to play Monday against the Pistons. Chris Duarte and Andrew Nembhard are candidates to see increased run during Saturday's matchup.
... See More... See Less
Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Likely to miss two Detroit games
Rotowire
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said after Thursday's 134-125 loss to the Rockets that he's not expecting Mathurin (ankle) to be available Saturday or Monday in Detroit, Scott Agness of FieldhouseFiles.com reports.
Carlisle didn't provide much clarity regarding the severity of the sprained right ankle Mathurin sustained early in Thursday's contest, but the rookie wing looks as though he'll miss at least a couple of games. Assuming Mathurin ends up sitting out the Detroit series, Andrew Nembhard, Chris Duarte and T.J. McConnell could all be in store for expanded playing time.
... See More... See Less
Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Will not return
Rotowire
Mathurin (ankle) has been ruled out for the remainder of Thursday's game against the Rockets.
Mathurin was carried to the locker room in the first quarter after turning his right ankle on a drive to the basket and was initially ruled questionable to return prior to being ruled out for the contest. He finished without recording any statistics in his three minutes of play. T.J. McConnell and Chris Duarte should see more minutes off the bench for the rest of Thursday's game. Mathurin will have a chance to suit up Saturday in Detroit.
... See More... See Less
Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Questionable to return
Rotowire
Mathurin (right ankle sprain) is questionable to return to Thursday's game against the Rockets, Pat Boylan of Bally Sports Indiana reports.
Mathurin went down hard in the first quarter while driving to the basket and had to be carried off the floor and into the locker room. Although he looked to be in a lot of pain, Mathurin is officially questionable to return to the contest. For as long as he is out, T.J. McConnell and Chris Duarte should see more action off the bench.
... See More... See Less
Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Can't get shots to fall
Rotowire
Mathurin contributed six points (1-7 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 4-4 FT), four rebounds and one assist across 26 minutes during Tuesday's 124-122 victory over the Mavericks.
Mathurin started and ended February with rough performances. The rookie averaged just 7.5 points over the first four games of the month, his worst four-game stretch of the season. He followed that up with double-digits in six straight games. Despite Dallas' defensive struggles Tuesday, Mathurin made just one shot. It was an extremely disappointing night since his point production is the primary value he brings to fantasy.
... See More... See Less
Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Leads Pacers off bench Friday
Rotowire
Mathurin posted 22 points (7-15 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 7-7 FT), three rebounds and one steal over 33 minutes during Friday's 117-104 loss to the Suns.
Mathurin was the leading scorer for Indiana in this loss, but to be fair, the entire team struggled in an overall subpar performance for Indiana. Mathurin was excellent at the start of the season but has been playing poorly of late, as he has failed to reach double-digit scoring figures in three of his last five contests. He's averaging 10.4 points per game while shooting 40.5 percent from the field in that span.
... See More... See Less
Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Leads offense in near-30-point game
Rotowire
Mathurin registered 27 points (9-20 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 7-8 FT), eight rebounds, three assists and one steal over 31 minutes during Sunday's 112-100 loss to the Grizzlies.
Mathurin provided a spark off the bench, leading the team in both scoring and rebounds while shooting more efficiently than usual from both the field and free-throw line. He's now scored at least 20 points in five consecutive outings, but he's supplementing that scoring production with relatively minimal numbers elsewhere (6.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 three-pointers, 0.8 steals and 0.2 blocks per game over that span).
... See More... See Less
Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Game-high 26 points off bench
Rotowire
Mathurin recorded 26 points (7-18 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 10-12 FT), three rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal over 33 minutes during Wednesday's 126-120 loss to the Magic.
Mathurin had a solid first half with 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field to go along with four assists before going just 3-of-11 over the final two quarters as the Pacers fell to the Magic. The shooting guard also sank 10 of his 12 free-throw attempts to finish with a game-high 26 points, while his four assists were the most he's recorded in a contest since Nov. 7. Mathurin has now scored at least 20 points in three straight, shooting 44.2 percent from the field over that stretch.
... See More... See Less
Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Another 20-point outing off bench
Rotowire
Mathurin ended Tuesday's 116-110 win over the Bulls with 26 points (10-17 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 5-7 FT), seven rebounds and two assists over 34 minutes.
Mathurin led all bench players in scoring while leading the Pacers' second unit in rebounds during Tuesday's victory. Mathurin has tallied 20 or more points in two straight games, increasing his total to 18 times this season.
... See More... See Less
Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Scores 23 points off bench
Rotowire
Mathurin racked up 23 points (6-17 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 11-11 FT), five rebounds and one steal in 38 minutes during Saturday's 112-107 loss to the Suns.
Mathurin is one of the top scorers in this season's rookie class and showed it again with another excellent performance, reaching the 20-point threshold for the fourth time in January and 18th time this season. He has slowed down a bit compared to what he did in the first weeks of the campaign, but Mathurin remains a reliable fantasy contributor in points leagues thanks to his willingness to put up shots and get to the free-throw line at a high rate. However, Mathurin's poor mark from the field (42.1 percent for the season) and limited contributions in other areas (4.0 rebounds, 1.5 three-pointers, 1.4 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.1 blocks per game) make him far less useful in category leagues.
... See More... See Less
Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Scores 26 as starter Friday
Rotowire
Mathurin had 26 points (9-18 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 8-11 FT), five rebounds, three assists and one steal in 39 minutes during Friday's 113-111 loss to the Hawks.
Mathurin has played off the bench in almost every game this season, but he was forced to jump into a starting role with the absences of key players such as Tyrese Haliburton (knee), Aaron Nesmith (illness) and Myles Turner (back). The rookie delivered and led the Pacers in scoring and continues to impress, posting 17 games with 20 or more points this season. If Nesmith and Turner can't return to action Saturday against the Grizzlies, Mathurin will likely remain in the starting lineup and should be heavily involved again.
... See More... See Less
Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Inserted as starter Friday
Rotowire
Mathurin will start Friday's game versus the Hawks, Scott Agness of FieldhouseFiles.com reports.
Mathurin gets the call to join the starting five with Aaron Nesmith (illness), Tyrese Haliburton (knee) and Myles Turner (back) all sidelined Friday. Mathurin didn't post particularly eye-popping numbers in his previous two starts as a rookie, averaging 10.0 points and 2.0 rebounds over 30.0 minutes per game.
