Benedict Mathurin.
Matt Hayward/Getty Images Adidas BasketballIndiana Pacers guard Benedict Mathurin He disagreed with a foul call late in his team's 127-117 loss to Cleveland Cavaliers On Wednesday, January 15, it was officially announced Natalie Sago Know about it.
As a result, he was suspended one game without pay for “making inappropriate contact with and verbally abusing a game official.” NBA He announced Thursday, January 16, in a statement.
The incident came late in the fourth quarter when Mathurin, 22, chased down the Cavaliers center Evan Mobley He tried to block Mobley's dunk attempt. Sago, 35, called out Mathurin for a foul, prompting the third-year player from Arizona to immediately start arguing, clapping directly behind Sago's face and bumping into her.
Crew chief Zach Zarba Confirmed after the match via NBA pool report That Mathurin was “correctly called” for a foul after hitting Mobley.
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Sagoo assessed Mathurin for two technical fouls and sent him out of the match as his teammates stopped him while he continued to protest the call.
This was actually his third technique in the game. He also received a technical foul earlier in the game for hanging on the rim and pulling himself up after a dunk.
Mathurin finished with 19 points and four rebounds.
The suspension will cost him $41,642, according to him espn. However, Mathurin is in the midst of his first professional contract worth $29,936,173 over four years.
“It was that moment,” Mathurin said after the match. “The game is very intense, and especially for me, being that competitive, I just want to win. It was an unfortunate situation, but I was able to learn from it.”
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Mathurin added that he apologized to Sagoo.
He continued: “I went to see Natalie and everything was fine.” “(I) wanted to apologize for the unfortunate situation. We were able to end the match on good terms. I wish her a good night, and next time we meet, everything will be friendly.”
Sago has been a full-time NBA referee since 2018 when she became the fifth woman ever to hold the position. She has managed 233 career games coming in this season and earned the shutout NBA All-Stars Duties in 2022 – a task that goes to the best officials in the league.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle He described the incident as an “emotional moment.”
“It happens all the time…dispute over the call,” he said. “Mathurin has escaped and we are moving forward.”
The Pacers' next game is Thursday night, on the road against the Detroit Pistons. Mathurin will be eligible to return on Saturday, January 18 at home in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
