The game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers was highly anticipated as it was the first duel between young Quebec stars Luguentz Dort and Bennedict Mathurin.
It was finally Dort and the Thunder who had the upper hand, winning 126 to 106 at the Paycom Center. The Montreal native was the team’s third-best scorer with a double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds.
It’s the highest rebound total of his career and his second double-double of the season.
Despite the defeat, Mathurin did not let himself be defeated, but could not become decisive. The 20-year-old, three years younger than Dort, finished with 13 points and five rebounds. He led the Pacers with three shots from the three-point line.
The two Quebecers exchanged a warm handshake after the game and then swapped their number 5 and 00 jerseys to cherish a memory of that special night.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Isaiah Joe led the Thunder team’s scoring charts with 23 points each. Especially in the first and third quarters, the Oklahoma team dominated with 36 and 40 respectively. 42 points.
The Pacers (23-23) take on the Denver Nuggets on Friday, while the Thunder (22-23) take on the Sacramento Kings on the same day. Only one more regular-season duel is scheduled between Dort and Mathurin until the end of the season, March 31, in Indiana.