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Indiana Pacers Starter Lands Suspension vs Detroit Pistons

The Indiana Pacers will be down a starter against the Detroit Pistons.
Justin Grasso|
Nov 29, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) passes the ball out of the lane Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, during a game between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Mandatory Credit: Grace Smith/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
Nov 29, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) passes the ball out of the lane Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, during a game between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Mandatory Credit: Grace Smith/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | Grace Smith/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

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The Indiana Pacers didn’t plan to play without Bennedict Mathurin on Thursday night against the Detroit Pistons. The NBA left them with no choice.

On Wednesday night, the NBA released a statement regarding the Pacers starter. The league revealed that Mathurin has been issued a punishment. He will be suspended for one game. He’s set to miss the action against the Pistons on Thursday.

“Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin has been suspended one game without pay for making inappropriate contact with and verbally abusing a game official, it was announced [on Wednesday] by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with 3:58 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Pacers’ 127-117 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 14 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mathurin will serve his suspension on Jan. 16 when the Pacers visit the Detroit Pistons.”

Unfortunately for Indiana, the Thursday night matchup marks the first absence of the 2024-2025 NBA season for Mathurin. He will miss the action coming off of a 19-point showing in the ten-point loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers at home.

When the Pacers and the Pistons opened their season, they battled it out for the first game. Mathurin checked in for 27 minutes off the bench. At the time, he accounted for 19 points and six rebounds.

The Pacers paid a visit to Detroit for the first time this season on November 29. Mathurin had 16 points in the 24-point loss to the Pistons.

With the series split, the Pistons are looking to find an edge on Thursday. Heading into the game, Detroit is on a two-game win streak after climbing above .500. They are half a game back from the Pacers, who hold a 22-19 record on the year, winning seven of their last 10 games.

The absence of Mathurin could be notable. For the most part, the Pistons are healthy, but they’ve been missing a key starter for a few weeks at this point.

Mathurin’s common rival, Jaden Ivey, is currently recovering from surgery. He got injured on January 1, and has missed the previous seven games for the Pistons. He is guaranteed to miss eight in a row, collecting another absence on Thursday.

The Pistons and the Pacers are on pace for a 7 PM ET tip.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia

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