NBA
Pacers Bennedict Mathurin ejected from Game 4 after hitting Cavs’ De’Andre Hunter
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All posts by Antonio KozlowUpdated1 hour ago on May 12, 2025
The Pacers started off on the wrong foot during Sunday’s Game 4, as Bennedict Mathurin was ejected during the first quarter after being handed a flagrant foul 2 for punching rival De’Andre Hunter in his stomach with a closed fist. In response, the Cavs forward then shoved him to the floor.
Naturally, things got heated as both squads had to intervene, as Myles Turner defended his teammate by then pushing Hunter. Both players were issued technical fouls for their excessive reactions, but Mathurin was punished with a more severe penalty, as he was the one who started the altercation.
After the official review, crew chief John Goble decided that the Indiana guard had to be ejected from the match early on. “That contact was deemed to be unnecessary and excessive,” the official told a pool reporter after the matchup, which ended 129-109 in the Pacers favor.
Despite Cleveland now trailing a 3-1 series in the Eastern Conference semifinals, rival coach Rick Carlisle lamented the whole ordeal. “Whatever happened, happened. He will accept the ejection [and] whatever else happens from it,” the tactician said of Mathurin following the contest.
“We just got to move forward. It is a learning experience for him. Playoff series are physical,” he assured in the postgame interview. “They’re chippy. They’re personal. And we got to stay out of the weeds of things that take us away from what we do best.”
However, he did have some doubts. “I had a lot of questions about it,” Carlisle insisted. “I saw one still shot where it looked he had his hand flat, you know? But they a lot of different views. Whatever happened, happened. He’ll accept the ejection and whatever else happens from it. We’ve just got to move forward.”
Now the Pacers can concentrate on closing out the series on Tuesday in Ohio, as they are on their way to a second-consecutive appearance in the conference finals. Mathunrin didn’t score during his 80 seconds on court, while Hunter had 5 points and 4 rebounds before the altercation.
