2 weeks Ago By Christian Alamodin, Hardwood Heroics
The Eastern Conference has long been regarded as the weaker of the NBA’s two conferences, and the season’s first ten or so games prove the point. The Indiana Pacers ’ ranking fourth despite owning a 5-5 record shows how underwhelming the East is compared to its Western counterparts. However, that doesn’t mean Indy has nothing exciting going for its NBA team.
Tyrese Haliburton has been a fantastic core of the squad as its primary scorer and floor general. The rest of the roster is also putting together a strong start to the season, but the bench does need some work. Bennedict Mathurin has been one of the more delightful surprises for the Pacers this season.
The 22-year-old Canadian is performing well for the Pacers recently, standing out as one of the more impressive contributors on Rick Carlisle’s roster. His most recent performance alongside Haliburton against the New York Knicks emphasizes the exciting future Indiana hoops fans might enjoy sooner than later. Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin become the first duo in Pacers history to score 35+ points in the same regular-season game StatMamba posted an interesting statistic about Indiana’s 132-121 win against the New York Knicks that would have many Pacers fans excited about the team’s future: Tyrese Haliburton & Bennedict Mathurin are the first duo in Pacers history to each score 35+ PTS in the same game.
pic.twitter.com/tBTRMXY8IH — StatMamba (@StatMamba) November 11, 2024 Indiana has seen many players wear the Pacers jersey since they started as an ABA franchise in 1967, so it’s quite surprising that there hasn’t been a time in the franchise’s existence when two talented offensive players impacted the team’s offense.
What might surprise some fans is how badly Haliburton started the season. The two-time All-Star and one-time Olympic gold medalist didn’t have the hottest start to the season, averaging 14.7 points, 4.
6 rebounds, and 7.7 assists. Meanwhile, Mathurin is steadily developing as a player since being drafted sixth overall in the 2022 Draft.
The Arizona product is putting up career highs this season in points (17.3) and boards (5.9) while maintaining his level of playmaking at 1.
9 assists a game. It’s important to note that the season is long, and Haliburton’s performance against the Knicks should be a sign of better things for the five-year veteran. Meanwhile, Indy fans are just happy that Mathurin is stepping up to become a key piece in a team that lacks potent star power aside from their star point guard.
This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission..
