The NBA suspended Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin for one game after he made inappropriate contact with and verbally abused a game official in their loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night, the league announced on Wednesday.
Mathurin will serve his suspension on Friday, and will be eligible to return on Saturday when they host the Philadelphia 76ers.
Mathurin was ejected in a chaotic moment late in Tuesday’s 127-117 loss to the Cavaliers. Mathurin was called for what appeared to be a very obvious foul on Evan Mobley, who was going up for a layup when Mathurin drilled him across the arm and knocked him to the ground.
Mathurin immediately followed Natalie Sago, the official who made the call, to the scorers table and then bumped into her while yelling at her — which resulted in automatic technical foul and, as it was his second of the game, an ejection.
Mathurin to Sago after the game, and that “the heat of the game kind of got me heated,” . While he apologized and clearly realized he took things too far, the league still opted to suspend him for one game as a result.
Mathurin finished with 19 points and four rebounds in the loss after shooting 8-of-12 from the field. The 22-year-old has averaged 16.5 points and six rebounds per game this season, his third in the league after the Pacers took him with the No. 6 overall pick in 2022 out of Arizona.
The Pacers hold a 22-19 record heading into Thursday’s game in Detroit. Tuesday’s loss to the Cavaliers snapped a six-game win streak.
