Mar 26, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) dribbles the ball while Los Angeles Lakers guard Gabe Vincent (7) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Pacers Injury Report: Bennedict Mathurin Downgraded Ahead of Kings Matchup

Originally posted on Indianapolis Pacers on SI
By Ryan Stano | Last updated Mar 31, 2025 10:21 AM ET

The Indiana Pacers are trying to lock down homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. They are a game and a half ahead of the Detroit Pistons for the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference standings.

Indiana has lost two of their last three games, so they are determined to flip the script and get back to playing the great basketball that they were playing after the All-Star break.

Now that Tyrese Haliburton is back in the lineup and he's healthy, the team has a different aura to them. They ran into a buzzsaw in Oklahoma City over the weekend, though.

Indiana was missing their best player off the bench in that matchup against the Thunder. Bennedict Mathurin missed that game with a sore calf.

The Pacers take on the Sacramento Kings on Monday night. Mathurin has had his status downgraded for that game due to left calf soreness.

Bennedict Mathurin out for tomorrow's game with the Kings with left calf soreness.
— Dustin Dopirak (@DustinDopirak) March 30, 2025

Having Mathurin ruled out for this game is not ideal. He is the best scorer that the Pacers have off the bench and is someone they can give the ball to when they need to get a bucket in the half-court.

Sacramento is a team that has a lot to play for. They are tenth in the Western Conference, holding that final play-in spot for the West.

That means that this game is not going to be easy for the Pacers to win without Mathurin. He is one of the big reasons why this team is able to win games against so many good teams.

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Indiana wants Mathurin healthy for the playoffs, so keeping him out for a couple of games to deal with his calf is fine by them. He wasn't available for the playoffs last season, and they really missed him against Boston.

Keeping their guys healthy is what they are most focused on down the stretch. They might not be able to catch the Knicks for third in the East, but they can still grab fourth.

Mathurin is averaging 16.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.

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This article first appeared on Indianapolis Pacers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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