Indiana Pacers rookie Bennedict Mathurin continued a strong preseason run on Wednesday, and earned more praise from head coach Rick Carlisle afterward.
Mathurin produced a team-high 27 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal in a 109-100 win over the New York Knicks. He went 8-of-13 from the field and 11-of-12 from the free-throw line in nearly 30 minutes of work before fouling out.
His 27 points tied Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe for the most by a rookie this preseason.
The sixth pick flourished on offense and was highly effective in getting to the line. Without a 3-pointer, Mathurin worked exclusively by driving into the paint. He displayed great body control to draw fouls and finish through contact in most cases.
Carlisle believes that ability is rare for a rookie.
He has got a really great knack for a young player of finding the cracks in the defense and then being able to get in there and avoid charges, get contact and, in many cases, finish. It is a craft that a lot of players take years (to figure out). Every once in a while, there is a young player that comes out of college whose game is much more suited to the NBA than college and I think Benn might be one of those guys. He had great coaching in college and was Player of the Year in the Pac-12. (Arizona head coach) Tommy (Lloyd) did a great job with him. But it is unique for a guy at this stage to have that feel.
🔥 Benn Mathurin poured in 27-points in the @Pacers comeback #NBAPreseason win!@BennMathurin: 27 PTS (8-13 FGM), 4 REB pic.twitter.com/ZvBKgb4Qxi
— NBA (@NBA) October 13, 2022
Mathurin credited his film study for finding lanes to drive to the basket. He recognized how the Knicks played him when they met for the Pacers’ second game on Oct. 7 and used that to his advantage the second time around.
The 20-year-old worked with Carlisle throughout the summer on several areas of his offensive game, including driving and drawing contact. The sessions helped him gain confidence to work in the paint.
Me and Rick have been working all summer. We had a lot of sessions where we watch film. He talked about some things I could do in the game, such as going to the paint and trying to get fouled. He told me how strong I was, and I didn’t really realize how strong I was until I got in a real game.
Mathurin previously drew praise from Carlisle for his approach to the game and wanting to get better. He has shown a willingness to put in the work to improve and that has resonated with his head coach. It has enabled Mathurin to get off to a quick start.
Through the Pacers’ first three preseason games, Mathurin is averaging 20.3 points and 3.3 rebounds on 52.6% shooting from the field. Impressively, he is putting up those numbers in a reserve role off the bench, averaging 22.3 minutes per game.
The Pacers loved the addition of Mathurin this year in the draft and believe he represents a big part of the future. The early showing by Mathurin should give the organization and its fans plenty of excitement for this season and beyond.
Indiana wraps up the preseason on Friday with the Houston Rockets.
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