Love & fouls: How Ex-Pacers Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson were greeted in Indy

• Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson received a warm welcome and a tribute video in their first return to Indiana.
• Mathurin engaged in friendly trash talk with his former teammates, particularly Andrew Nembhard.
• The Pacers traded the players due to roster needs and future contract and luxury tax considerations.

INDIANAPOLIS — Before they were traded together to the Clippers in February along with draft picks for Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown, Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson had both spent their entire NBA careers in Indiana.

The Pacers took Jackson in the first round of the 2021 draft and Mathurin in 2022. Jackson, who spent just one year at Kentucky before entering the draft, made his NBA debut at 19. Mathurin, who spent two years at Arizona was 20. Both of them viewed Indianapolis as the place where they became men and professionals.

So it meant a lot to them that they were warmly received in their first game back after the trade. The Pacers put together a tribute video combining their highlights and played it during the first timeout of Friday’s game, which the Clippers eventually won 114-113. Mathurin and Jackson got a big ovation then each got one again when they checked in the game off the bench.

“It meant the world,” Mathurin said. “It meant the world. Indy is my first home. I was able to get drafted over here and just being loved by the fans and most of the organization was great. I love the fans.”

There was clearly love from his teammates too, though it looked a lot different than the appreciation he got from the fanbase.

Mathurin was famous during his time at Indiana for his competitive nature and trash talk. He’s supremely confident in his game and driven by a desire to beat everyone at every competitive endeavor all the time. He talked trash with teammates who were guarding him in practice, telling anyone who tried that they couldn’t guard him, so naturally he did the same when they were taking him on in an actual game. It wasn’t clear exactly what words were being exchanged between Mathurin and his former teammates, but it was clear there were a lot of them.

“Always talk trash with Benn,” Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith said with a smile. “There was nothing that we hadn’t done before.”

The back-and-forth was particularly fiery between Mathurin and Pacers point guard Andrew Nembhard, Mathurin’s classmate from the 2022 NBA draft. Nembhard took on the assignment of guarding Mathurin whenever the two were in the game and he made a point to be physical with Mathurin, so much so that he seemed more willing to foul Mathurin than allow him to shoot. Nembhard picked up five fouls in 32 minutes — most of them on Mathurin — while Mathurin made 0 of 3 field goals in the first half and 2 of 8 for the game but also made 12 of 15 free throws for 17 points.

“It was fun, man,” Mathurin said. “He was talking a lot of crap. I did pretty well for an off night. He called it an off night. I don’t know. He couldn’t guard me. How many fouls did he have? Stop fouling me, you know what I’m saying? That’s the only way to stop me. But that’s my guy, man. That guy has a really, really bright future ahead of him. I consider him my brother. He’s got a lot of great things coming to his way. I’m super-blessed to compete against him. … He’s one of the best defenders in the league.”

The Pacers drafted Mathurin because they believed he could be one of the league’s best young scorers and he was during his time in Indiana. In 2022-23, he scored the third-most points of any rookie in Pacers history and became the first Pacers player since Rik Smits in 1989 to be named first-team All-Rookie. He averaged 16.1 points per game in his 3 1/2 seasons and is the third-leading scorer in the 2022 draft class behind only Orlando’s Paolo Banchero and Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams.

Mathurin was averaging 17.8 points per game for the Pacers when he was traded and he’s averaging 19.9 points per game since he was acquired by the Clippers on 14.4 field goal attempts per game, a career high. He’s had some issues with efficiency and is shooting just 19.7% from 3-point range (13 of 66), but he’s given the Clippers a potent scoring wing off the bench and he’s averaging 2.4 assists per game. That’s more than he ever averaged in a season for the Pacers.

“He’s been great at getting to the free-throw line and drawing fouls,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “But also, last game I think he had a career high in assists. Making the right play when guys are open. Making the right play, hitting the first open guy. I think last game he had seven assists, so just understanding what we need from him every single night.”

Jackson has also filled a needed role for the Clippers. He wasn’t getting much action as of the Pacers’ meeting with the Clippers in Los Angeles on March 4. At that point, he’d played in just three of 10 games with the Clippers and hadn’t played more than six minutes in any of them.

However in that game, promising young center Yanic Konan Niederhauser suffered a Lisfranc injury in his right foot which will keep him out for the rest of the season. Jackson stepped in and scored 10 points on 4 of 6 shooting and ever since he’s been starter Brook Lopez’s backup at center. Jackson scored in double figures in five of the last seven games. With four points on 2 of 2 shooting in Friday’s game, he’s made 15 consecutive field goal attempts over the last four games. He’s averaging 7.5 points and 4.6 rebounds on a remarkable 76.4% shooting in 17 games with the Clippers.

“He’s been very helpful,” Lue said. “I think his athleticism, being able to run the floor, get behind the defense on pick-and-rolls. And then, what’s huge for us is defensively, being able to switch 1 through 5 and being able to give teams different looks outside of Brook who is always in a deep drop. You come in with Isaiah who can switch 1 through 5 at times. And what’s surprised me the most is I didn’t know he could post up smaller guys. If you throw him the ball around the basket, he’s been finishing really well.”

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle has been pleased to see both find success in Los Angeles. They were ultimately willing to part with them, he said, because they believe in Zubac as their answer at center and because Mathurin was headed toward restricted free agency in the offseason and the Pacers weren’t sure they’d be able to keep him and a reasonable luxury tax figure. However, they did realize they were giving up good players.

“They’re guys we loved,” Carlisle said. “But it’s good players to get good players and then there’s economic issues involved too. We just weren’t going to be able to make it work with Benn contractually. The Clippers have found a guy that is a terrific young scorer.”

Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.