DETROIT — The Indiana Pacers lost guard Bennedict Mathurin to an injury late last season. The Pacers crushed the Dallas Mavericks in early March, and Mathurin had a solid outing. But he suffered a torn labrum in his right shoulder — his shooting shoulder — that night. He didn’t play again in 2023-24.

That kept the young ball handler out for his team’s first winning campaign. He was also absent for the postseason, and Indiana made a run. They reached the Eastern Conference Finals as Mathurin rehabbed, and while the team had success, they were missing Mathurin’s dynamic abilities.

“I think [Mathurin] saw what it takes to play the way we really want to play, what it takes to be successful in a playoffs setting,” Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan said a few weeks ago. He added that Mathurin took all of that information in and processed it during the postseason. “I think you’ll see a different side to him this year that’s really playing and adapting to the way that we play.”

Mathurin is still blending his game with the unique way the Pacers operate. But he’s a low-turnover ball handler who can get to the rim with ease and make plays in a slowed-down setting. That’s the makeup of a player who could add value in the playoffs. And the Pacers happened to play against two teams that Mathurin had success against during the regular season in Milwaukee and New York.

Indiana found ways to win two rounds, but their young ball handler was missed. He’s an emerging talent as a scorer and attacker — the Pacers had to look elsewhere for those skills for the final two months of the 2023-24 season.

Wednesday night, Mathurin returned to action in Detroit. The Pacers opened up the season against the Pistons, and it was Mathurin’s first game with consequences since March 5. 232 days had passed since he last hit the hardwood.

Onlookers weren’t able to tell. The Arizona product looked as good as ever. Mathurin was terrific in the fourth quarter and changed the makeup of the game with his ability to get off shots and pump energy into an otherwise flat Pacers offense. Indiana was down by eight with 10:38 to play, yet they were able to get a win thanks to Mathurin. He didn’t miss a beat upon returning.

“Performance? I don’t really care, to be honest. I’m just happy we got the win,” Mathurin said when asked if it meant anything to have a strong outing in Detroit after so much time off. That mindset is important, but the team wouldn’t have gotten the win without his play.

Entering the fourth quarter, Mathurin had five points. His head coach, Rick Carlisle, shared that the young guard got pulled from the game after some rough defensive moments earlier in the second half. It was a mediocre night for the 2022 lottery pick to that point.

He owned the fourth quarter. Mathurin flicked in three foul shots in the first minute of the frame, and his ability to get to the free throw line is part of what makes him so special. With the benefit of hindsight, perhaps that should have been a signal of special things to come.

Less than two minutes later, the 22-year old cashed in another shot from the foul line. 19 seconds passed, then he embarrassed Jaden Ivey with a stepback jumper and drilled it. He had six points in about three minutes to open the fourth quarter, and the Pacers were now down by just two.

That was just the beginning. With seven minutes to go, Mathurin buried another jumper to give Indiana a lead. That edge felt flimsy until the shooting guard hit a key three with 2:55 remaining that extended his team’s advantage to four. Finally, the Pacers had some breathing room, and Mathurin created almost all of it.

“Time of the game,” Mathurin said when asked what changed for him in the final frame. “Just keeping the game simple. I know it’s the fourth quarter. We’ve got to make a run. Got to get a different perspective on the game. That’s when I thrive.”

He would score two more points down the stretch as the Pacers erased a double-digit deficit to earn their first win of the season. Mathurin’s late-game play made it all possible.

In just the fourth quarter, the young ball handler finished with 14 points, two rebounds, and one assist. He played the entire frame, and Indiana outscored Detroit 33-19 in the period. Mathurin took nine free throws in that quarter — his ability to get to the charity stripe has always been nearly elite.

“[Bennedict] Mathurin was great in this game. He just has that attitude as an attacker and as a scorer,” Carlisle said during this postgame press conference. “I thought defensively, as the game went along, he got better.”

Mathurin finished the outing with 19 points and six rebounds. Indiana almost certainly wouldn’t have grabbed a victory without him. Going forward, the key takeaway is that the young guard reminded everyone of exactly who he is.

Even on a night where Mathurin was off for some stretches, he could take over the game with his offensive firepower. When a battle slows down, he thrives. On an Indiana team that tries to play fast and keep the ball moving constantly, that change of pace can be valuable.

For Mathurin, the next step is consistency. He saw his team make a postseason run without him, and it’s his job to fit into that system. Moving the ball, defending, and making quick decisions will be key in making that happen.

Yet he also has to blend those improvements with the gifts that make him a high-ceiling player. The third-year pro, who will be eligible for a rookie-scale contract extension next offseason, showcased how he can do that on nights where the Pacers are slowed for much of the game.

“Be myself. I work hard, I was out for a minute. So the main thing for me is just to come back into the team,” he said of what he focuses on when the game slows down and defenses are honing in on him. “I’m not trying to turn people around and say ‘I’m back’. I’m just making sure my teammates know I’m willing to do whatever it takes to win.”

Mathurin certainly did that on Wednesday. The Indiana Pacers are 1-0, and their young guard helped everyone remember exactly who he is to secure the victory.