Who is Bennedict Mathurin? Pacers guard a hero off the bench in NBA Finals Game 3
Who is Bennedict Mathurin? Pacers guard a hero off the bench in NBA Finals Game 3
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Pacers' Game 3 adjustments
To bounce back in Game 3, the Pacers need better starts, transition offense, and a plan for Shai.
The Indiana Pacers are now up 2-1 in the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, thanks to a monster performance by Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin.
Mathurin scored a game-high 27 points off the bench in the Pacers' 116-107 win over the Thunder in Game 3 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. He shot 9-of-12 from the field, 2-of-3 from 3 and 7-of-8 from the free throw line.
"So many of the guys chipped in. This guy behind me, Ben Mathurin, was amazing off the bench tonight. He just stuck with it," Tyrese Haliburton said after the win. "Our bench was amazing."
Mathurin is not yet a household name, but his postseason play is catching everyone's attention. Just who is Mathurin? USA TODAY Sports rounded up everything you need to know about the 22-year-old guard, who has become an integral piece in the Pacers' rotation:
Who is Bennedict Mathurin?
Mathurin, 22, is a shooting guard for the Indiana Pacers. He's in his third season in the NBA. He wears No. 00.
Where is Bennedict Mathurin from?
Mathurin was born June 19, 2002 in Montreal, Quebec. Basketball runs in the family. His older sister Jennifer played college basketball at North Carolina State from 2013-2017 and his brother Dominique Jeune had dreams of playing in the NBA. Tragedy struck the Mathurin family when 15-year-old Dominique Jeune was struck by a car and killed while riding his bike home from school. Mathurin was 12 at the time of his brother's death.
'He's my inspiration,' Mathurin said in 2022. 'He wanted to play in the NBA. It was a mission for me and him as well.'
In 2018, Mathurin left home at age 15 to enter the NBA Academy Latin America in Mexico City, a year-round elite basketball development program for top high school-age players.
Bennedict Mathurin college career
Bennedict Mathurin played two seasons of collegiate basketball at the University of Arizona. He was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team in 2021 after averaging 10.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 26 games (12 starts). Mathurin was promoted to the starting lineup for his sophomore campaign, and he averaged 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 37 games (all starts). He was named a second team All-American and picked up Pac-12 Player of the Year and First Team All Pac-12 honors.
Bennedict Mathurin draft
Bennedict Mathurin was selected out of Arizona by the Pacers with the sixth overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft. Mathurin instantly made a splash in the league and he averaged 16.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 78 games (17 starts). He was named to the 2023 NBA All-Rookie First Team, finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting and set a Pacers franchise record for most 3s made by a rookie (100).
'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 Ben might be one of those guys,' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said in 2022. 'He had great coaching in college and was Player of the Year in the Pac-12. … But it is unique for a guy at this stage to have that feel.'
Mathurin's sophomore season was cut short due to a torn labrum in his right shoulder.
Bennedict Mathurin stats: 2024-25 season
Mathurin averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 72 regular-season games (49 starts). He's averaging 15.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists through the first three games of the NBA Finals.
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