Indiana Pacers swingman Bennedict Mathurin had a final minute to forget Friday in Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle swapped out Aaron Nesmith for Mathurin as Indiana trailed 107-103 with 44 seconds left inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. The move was meant to be an offense-for-defense substitution, as Mathurin is a much more dynamic offensive weapon compared to Nesmith.
Mathurin ended up being an utter disaster on both ends of the floor. He was awarded two free throws after getting fouled while fighting for a loose ball. Instead of cutting the lead down to a single possession, the Pacers reserve bricked both attempts.
Following a Thunder timeout, Mathurin fouled Thunder star Jalen Williams before the inbound, awarding OKC a free throw to extend the lead to 108-103. Indiana then got the steal off the inbound, which led to two more Mathurin free throws. He missed a third straight foul shot before finally converting on his second attempt.
After making the free throw, Mathurin inexplicably tackled Shai Gilgeous-Alexander before the inbound to give the Thunder yet another bonus free throw.
Bennedict Mathurin with 2 consecutive 'away from the play' foul late in the 4th quarter, giving OKC a free throw and possession each time. pic.twitter.com/v1mBtogqDq
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) June 14, 2025
Given the painful free throw penalty that comes with away-from-play fouls, NBA players rarely commit the infraction before an inbound. Mathurin tallied two such fouls in the last 30 seconds of a close NBA Finals game. Mathurin’s boneheaded fouls and three missed free throws cost the Pacers five points in a game they lost 111-104.
Mathurin was the Pacers’ hero in Game 3, scoring 27 points on 9/12 shooting off the bench to lead Indiana to a 116-107 victory. It took all of one game for him to start looking like a villain.