Bennedict Mathurin celebrated his impact in his third game with the LA Clippers after scoring 38 points in a 115-114 win over the Denver Nuggets. “It’s fun, man… seeing how my teammates were happy for me… just winning my second game with the team. So far, so good,” he said.
Mathurin credited coach Tyronn Lue for encouraging his aggressive play. “He told me to be aggressive, told me to be myself… he really knows my game. Glad to have him as a coach… we can do a lot of great things,” he noted.
On drawing fouls and creating points through contact, Mathurin explained, “It’s what I do… just trying to get myself going, being aggressive, making layups, and along the way people found me.”
Adjusting to the Clippers’ system, he added, “Knowing the plays helps a lot… the more games I play, the more time I spend with the team in practice, it’s going to help me a lot knowing where to get to my spots.”
Mathurin reflected on Jamal Murray’s final free throws: “I don’t know if he tried to miss it on purpose or he just didn’t make the shot… we got the win and that’s the most important thing for us.”
He praised the Intuit Dome environment. “It was dope… the wall is great… good to see the fans really engaged in the game. Looking forward to the next home game,” Mathurin said.
On adjustments in the second half, he emphasized teamwork: “Playing with great players… especially with Kawhi… sometimes in clutch time, we know he’s very clutch, so most times we put the ball in his hands.”
Mathurin described his developing connection with Leonard. “The trade happened so fast… great guy… trying to build that connection as quick as we can, so we can make a deep run in the playoffs,” he said.
Discussing his free-throw success, Mathurin said, “I’ve always been aggressive, going to the rim… just knowing when to take a shot or be aggressive… it’s one of my biggest strengths.”
Defensively, he added, “Just reading the defense… being in the right spots at the right time, making plays… we have a great defense coordinator, Jeff Van Gundy, and we watch a lot of film on situations where I could be better defensively.”
Mathurin’s home debut performance, combined with Kawhi Leonard’s 23 points and Derrick Jones Jr.’s 22-point contribution, kept the Clippers in the Western Conference play-in mix. His ability to draw contact and create points proved decisive in a game that Denver nearly forced into overtime.
