Montreal’s Bennedict Mathurin shone in a 116-110 win for the Pacers over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, helping the Indiana team end a seven-game losing streak.
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Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle recently called Mathurin the “best bench player in the NBA” to explain why he didn’t prefer to employ the 20-year-old in his starting five.
Leader among the “sixth men” of the Silver circuit with 769 points, Mathurin certainly proves him right these days.
In the duel of the day, the native of Montreal North equaled a personal best by collecting 26 points. He made 10 of 17 two-point shots, in addition to seven rebounds and two assists.
The Pacers came back up the slope after a laborious start. Trailing 33-21 after one quarter and 62-46 at halftime, they dominated the second half to pull away with the win.
Besides Mathurin, Myles Turner also had a good game, with 26 points. Carlisle’s most-used player, TJ McConnell, meanwhile, completed a double-double of 20 points and 10 assists.
The troubles of the Bulls have thus continued on the road, they who have won only nine of their 24 duels in similar circumstances this season. Demar DeRozan struggled to lead his team, but his 33-point tally proved insufficient.
The Pacers will have the opportunity to continue this momentum on Wednesday when they visit the Orlando Magic, one of the worst teams in the NBA.
The Bulls will travel to Charlotte on Thursday to face the Hornets.