Pacers’ Bennedict Mathurin suspended for incident with referee
Bennedict Mathurin of the Indiana Pacers has been handed a one-game suspension without pay “for inappropriate contact and verbal abuse towards a game official,” according to an announcement from the NBA on Wednesday.
This event took place during the Pacers’ defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers, with a score of 127-117, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The incident unfolded with 3:58 left in the fourth quarter when Mathurin was penalized for fouling Cavaliers center Evan Mobley after hitting Mobley’s arm while he was driving to the hoop. Disagreeing with the decision, Mathurin moved towards referee Natalie Sago in frustration.
He clapped in her face while she was walking away and bumped into her back, which led to him receiving two technical fouls and an automatic ejection. His teammates attempted to pull him away to calm him down, but Mathurin continued to voice his discontent toward Sago.
He finished the game with 19 points (8-for-12 FG, 3-for-6 3PT), along with four rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle characterized the event as “an emotional moment in a game,” adding, “Such disagreements on calls happen frequently. (Mathurin) reacted and we simply move on.”
Post-game, Mathurin expressed regret for his behavior.
“I spoke to Natalie (Sago), and we’re good,” he shared with the press. “I wanted to apologize for the unfortunate situation. We parted on good terms. I wish her a pleasant evening, and next time we meet, I hope it’s all friendly.”
Earlier in the game, Mathurin had received another technical foul—one of three he accumulated during the match—after hanging on the rim and pulling himself up following a dunk in the second quarter. Referee Zach Zarba clarified in the NBA’s pool report that this was classified as a “non-unsportsmanlike technical foul,” which does not count towards an ejection.
Zarba commented, “One was a non-unsportsmanlike for hanging on the rim, followed by two consecutive technical fouls after the foul call. As a result of Mathurin’s foul, Mobley went on to shoot two free throws.”
