The Indiana Pacers were trying to hang with the league-leading Cleveland Cavaliers late in the fourth quarter. Then Bennedict Mathurin melted down.
Mathurin already had one technical foul when he fouled Evan Mobley with just under four minutes to go in Cleveland’s 127-117 win over Indiana. Even though he clearly hacked Mobley’s right arm as he jumped toward to the rim, Mathurin argued the call vehemently, clapping his hands and yelling at referee Natalie Sago.
Then, after Sago called him for a technical, Mathurin pursued Sago and bumped her, while appearing to use profane language. Any kind of contact with an official is an automatic ejection, even if Mathurin hadn’t already earned two technical fouls already. He was escorted out after a rare three-technical game.
Donovan Mitchell made two technical free throws, Mobley split his pair and the Cavaliers had a 12-point lead.
Playing without All-Star Tyrese Haliburton, Mathurin scored 19 points on 8-for-12 shooting. He got 12 of those points in the fourth quarter, over half of his team’s points at the time of his ejection. He was clearly frustrated, both by Cleveland’s defense, which limited the Pacers to only 12 three-pointers on 28 attempts, and by the officials.
Two minutes before his ejection, Sago called Mathurin for traveling — also the correct call. She also called Mathurin’s first technical, for pulling up on the rim after a dunk.
It’s going to be a costly lesson in self-control for Mathurin, who will lose at least $6K in fines for his three technicals, and likely more for bumping the official.
Losing Mathurin cost the Pacers the chance to come back, and it’s going to cost the third-year guard a chunk of cash.
