Pacers wing star: There are not many opportunities for substitutes, so I have to try my best on the court

In a previous NBA Finals G3 game, the Indiana Pacers, who returned to their home court, defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107 and widened the total score of this round of series to 2-1. After this game, the Pacers' substitute wing star Bennedict Mathurin was interviewed by reporters, and he also talked about his responsibilities as a substitute player on the court.

Matherin said: I think this is our duty. As substitutes, we won’t have as many opportunities as starters to perform, and we will have less playing time. I emphasized this with my teammates yesterday. So we must appear with that correct mentality, and every time we play, we must do our best to help the team win. I’m glad I did this successfully in this game and helped the team win. During the playoffs, Mathering has made a total of 18 appearances in the first 19 games so far, with averaging 16.7 minutes per game, averaging 11.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.3 steals and 0.2 blocks, and 1.2 turnovers and 1.9 fouls, shooting percentage of 50.4%, three-point shooting percentage of 31.8%, and free throw shooting percentage of 88.9%. In the G3 series, Matherin showed amazing combat effectiveness. He shot 9 of 12 shots, 2 of 3 from outside the three-point line, and 7 of 8 free throws. He scored the highest score of 27 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block in the game. He also made 1 mistake, and the plus and negative value also reached the highest +16 in the game.

In fact, Matherin's performance during the playoffs was relatively average, and his scoring ability was not fully displayed. His personal ability was indeed quite good, but on the other hand, his playing style seemed to be a bit out of place with the team. Therefore, a lot of Matherin's time on the court has a negative impact on the team. He can complete some scoring, but he also destroyed the team's rhythm and system when he is on the court, resulting in the team's passive situation on the court. Therefore, Matherin was somewhat unreused during the playoffs, and his average playing time per game declined significantly compared to the regular season.

Unexpectedly, in the finals G3, he also showed his super personal ability and showed incredible performances when he was not favored by everyone. It is no exaggeration to say that Matherin's outstanding performance is also an important factor in the team's ability to defeat their opponents. I wonder if Matherin can maintain such competitiveness in the next game. If he can do this, maybe the Pacers can really make a breakthrough in the finals and strive for the championship?