The Indiana Pacers came up short of winning an NBA title on Sunday, but it wasn’t for lack of effort from Arizona alums Bennedict Mathurin and T.J. McConnell.
The two former Wildcats put up a combined 40 points in Indiana’s 103-91 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder Sunday evening in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Mathurin led Indiana with 24 points and 13, while McConnell had 16 points to go with six rebounds and three assists.
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Mathurin and McConnell played significant roles off the bench all postseason, but their importance magnified when Indiana star Tyrese Haliburton suffered a non-contact injury in the opening quarter. McConnell played 28 minutes as Indiana’s primary ball-handler, while Mathurin played 33 minutes.
McConnell impressed the basketball world throughout the NBA Finals with the characteristic hustle and savvy scoring he showed throughout his career at Arizona. McConnell also showed Sunday why he’s primarily a reserve point guard, as he committed seven costly turnovers including six in the third quarter alone. Oklahoma City outscored Indiana 18-0 on turnovers in the third quarter.
McConnell averaged 12 points and 4.3 assists across the series.
Mathurin, meanwhile, cemented himself as one of the league’s up-and-comers throughout the series. He led Indiana in scoring in two games – Game 3 and Game 7 – and looked at times like the best scorer on the court.
Mathurin’s inconsistency was also on display in the series. He scored single figures in four of the seven games including just two points in Game 6.
Mathurin averaged 12.4 points in 20 minutes over seven games.
Mathurin and McConnell will remain teammates barring any surprising trade deals.
Mathurin is under contract with Indiana for the 2025-26 season, after which he becomes a restricted free agent. McConnell signed a four-year extension with the Pacers through the 2028-29 season.