Montreal’s Bennedict Mathurin gave the Pacers a 116-110 win over the Chicago Bulls at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Tuesday, 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’d rather not include the 20-year-old in his starting XI.
As the leader among the “sixth men” on the Silver Circuit with 769 points, Mathurin is sure to agree with him these days.
In the duel of the day, the Montreal-North native set a personal best with 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 rough start. Trailing 33-21 after a quarter and 62-46 at halftime, they dominated the second half and pulled away with the win.
In addition to Mathurin, Myles Turner also showed a good game with 26 points. Meanwhile, Carlisle’s most-used player, TJ McConnell, completed a double-double with 20 points and 10 assists.
That continues the problems on the road for the Bulls, who have won just nine of their 24 duels this season in similar circumstances. Demar DeRozan struggled to lead his team, but his 33-point tally proved inadequate.
The Pacers have an opportunity to continue that momentum Wednesday when they visit the Orlando Magic, one of the NBA’s worst teams.
The Bulls travel to Charlotte on Thursday to face the Hornets.