Bennedict Mathurin believes the Los Angeles Clippers have the potential to make a deep postseason run, and he did not hesitate to say it after the team’s offensive explosion Wednesday night.
“I fully believe that we can make it back this year,” Mathurin said. “So, it’s just pretty much about having everybody on the same page.”
The Clippers routed the Minnesota Timberwolves 153-128 at Intuit Dome, producing their highest scoring total of the season and moving above .500 at 33-32.
Los Angeles has now won three straight games and six of its last seven after opening the season 6-21, climbing to eighth place in the Western Conference.
Kawhi Leonard led the way with 45 points on 15-of-20 shooting, including 6-of-9 from three-point range, while Mathurin added 22 points off the bench and Darius Garland contributed 21 with five three-pointers.
Mathurin credited Leonard for setting the tone offensively.
“First thing is the Klaw,” Mathurin said. “He did his thing.”
The forward also pointed to contributions across the roster.
“We got J-Millie,” Mathurin said of Jordan Miller. “Jordan Miller went crazy tonight. I mean, I think everybody did their job, man. We played collectively, played great as a team.”
Despite the 153-point total, Mathurin said the performance started on the defensive end.
“The most important thing was our defense,” Mathurin said. “We started the game the right way, and I think that kind of set the pace for us.”
Leonard scored 18 points in the first quarter as the Clippers built an early lead, and the offense continued to flow throughout the night with Los Angeles shooting 63% from the field and hitting 19 three-pointers.
Watching Leonard take over the game left an impression on Mathurin.
“He’s unbelievable, man,” Mathurin said. “Obviously he’s one of, in my opinion, the best player in the NBA right now.”
Mathurin added that the team depends on Leonard maintaining that aggressive approach.
“We definitely need him to keep being himself,” he said. “Just go out there and play hard, man, and try to win more games.”
The forward also acknowledged the growing connection between the players and the crowd at Intuit Dome.
“It’s fun, man,” Mathurin said. “We have the best fans in the NBA.”
He added that the team wants continued support as the regular season approaches its final stretch.
“The regular season ends pretty shortly, and then we got the playoffs,” Mathurin said. “We need every fan in the city of LA to come and support us.”
Mathurin believes his past postseason experience can help the group navigate the coming weeks.
“Last year was a great year and there’s a lot of things that we could have improved,” he said. “Maybe I can be kind of like an intel and tell the guys things that we need to do and things that I’ve been through.”
He also said his role is about complementing the team’s stars.
“Those guys have been All-Star,” Mathurin said, referring to Leonard and Garland. “One of my goals in the future.”
“For me it’s just trying to mesh with them,” he added. “Just trying to be there for them and take it day by day.”
