Indiana Pacers player Bennedict Mathurin has been suspended one game without pay ‘for making inappropriate contact with and verbally abusing a game official,’ the NBA announced Wednesday.
The incident happened Tuesday in the Pacers’ 127-117 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. With 3:58 remaining in the fourth quarter, Mathurin was called for a foul on Cavaliers center Evan Mobley after making contact with Mobley’s arm as he drove to the basket. Mathurin didn’t agree with the call and instantly charged toward referee Natalie Sago.
Mathurin clapped his hands in her face as she walked away and bumped his chest into Sago’s back, drawing two technical fouls — and an automatic ejection — in the sequence. Mathurin’s teammates pulled him back in an attempt to defuse the situation, but Mathurin continued to shout toward Sago.
He exited Tuesday’s matchup with 19 points (8-for-12 FG, 3-for-6 3PT), four rebounds, two assist, one steal and one block.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle described the incident as ‘an emotional moment in a game.’ He added, ‘It happens all the time … disagreement on a call. (Mathurin) got run and we just move on.’
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Mathurin expressed remorse for his actions following the game.
‘I went to see Natalie (Sago), and everything’s all right,’ Mathurin told reporters. ‘(I) wanted to apologize for the unfortunate situation. We were able to end on good terms. I wish her to have a great night, and the next time we meet, it’s all friendly.’
Earlier in the game, Mathurin received another technical foul — one of three he got in the game — for hanging on the rim and pulling himself up after a dunk in the second quarter. It was deemed a ‘non-unsportsmanlike technical foul,’ referee Zach Zarba explained in the NBA’s pool report following Tuesday’s game. Those do not count toward an ejection.
‘One was a non-unsportsmanlike for hanging on the rim, and then two consecutive technical fouls after the foul call,’ Zarba said. ‘And what happened after is that (Evan) Mobley then shot the two free throws for the foul that was originally called on Mathurin.’
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