Bennedict Mathurin spoke openly about his return to the court following a week-long absence due to a lingering toe injury. “Man, it’s fun. It’s like a girlfriend I ain’t seen, you know what I’m saying? Very very happy,” he said, highlighting his excitement to play again.
He detailed the challenges of managing the injury throughout the season: “I’ve been playing with it since the second game of the season. It was very, very challenging, but I love basketball. It got to a point where it was too much. It was affecting the way I was playing and sometimes it hurt more than actually do good things. So it was right for me to sit down.”
Mathurin credited dedicated gym work and coaching guidance for restoring his shot. “Watch a film and being in the gym. Just having to pop my shot a little bit more. I feel like every shot of mine were kind of short, you know, ’cause I wasn’t really pushing through that toe. Still not the way I would want it to be, but it’s way better,” he explained.
Reflecting on his upcoming visit to Indiana, Mathurin acknowledged the connection with his former team and fans: “Indiana breeds basketball. Everybody knows that and I already know what to expect. Obviously the fans going to be there and they love me and I love the fans over there. They meant… they still do. It’s going to be a lot of love. Indiana drafted me. It’s still my second home to this day.”
On seeing former teammates in action, he added: “It’s going to be a great moment. Being on the other side is going to be a little different, but there’s no hate. It’s just a lot of love, especially now being on the other side. I’m just excited to play against my guys. I played against them the past four years every day in practice and now I get the chance to really play against them in a game that’s going to count for real.”
Mathurin also discussed the impact of teammate Darius Garland on the floor. “He can shoot. He can really shoot that. It helps create a lot of things. You got to worry about him making shots, creating plays. It’s very, very unselfish. We have guys on the team who can make a lot of plays, a lot of buckets,” he said.
Looking ahead to the playoffs, Mathurin expressed optimism about his current team’s prospects. “I’m a winner. So, it’s good to be on a team that wins and is looking forward to do a lot of great things in the playoffs. We have a pretty good chance. I’m confident, but I’m also optimistic,” he said.
He acknowledged the support of Clippers fans in Inglewood: “The fans are great. The fans make the game even better. Very, very grateful to have everybody that just cheer for us. We’re looking forward to make the fans enjoy the game.”
Mathurin contributed 23 points off the bench in Wednesday’s 119-94 victory over the Toronto Raptors at Intuit Dome. His performance complemented Kawhi Leonard’s 27 points and Darius Garland’s 24, helping the Clippers extend their win streak to three and maintain a play-in position in the Western Conference.
