Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin has become one of the breakout stars of the 2025 NBA Finals. The 22-year-old Canadian lit up Gainbridge Fieldhouse with 27 points in just 22 minutes off the bench in Game 3, helping lift the Pacers to a 2-1 series lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder and reminding everyone of his elite scoring potential.
Mathurin’s explosive performance caught the attention of former NBA champion Iman Shumpert, who took to social media to issue a public apology for previously downplaying the second-year guard’s impact. With the spotlight now firmly on Mathurin, even his critics are giving credit where it’s due.
Bennedict Mathurin’s 27 Points Show Compels Iman Shumpert to Apologize Publicly
Game 3 saw the Indiana Pacers fend off the Oklahoma City Thunder, securing a 116-107 victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to take a 2-1 series lead in the NBA Finals. Mathurin bagged 27 points on 9-of-12 shooting, including 2-of-3 from three and 7-of-8 at the line.
He became the sixth player in NBA history, alongside Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James, Tony Parker, Magic Johnson, and Kobe Bryant, to score 25+ points in a game at the age of 22. A record that will echo throughout the league’s legacy.
Since the NBA/ABA merger in 1976, Bennedict Mathurin is just the sixth player with 25+ points in a Finals game at age 22 or younger.
He joins elite company 👏 pic.twitter.com/2kZfStgxZ9
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 12, 2025
Following Mathurin’s performance, Iman Shumpert (2016 NBA champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers) acknowledged his misjudgment on the Spotify podcast “The Hoop Collective.”
“Indiana right now, they are doing the job that they need to do,” Shumpert said. “Like, that is unbelievable. I didn’t, and before the game, I didn’t talk about him at all. We, I don’t think any of us did.”
The former NBA champion continued, “Benedict Mathurin, I apologize. I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I didn’t know we needed to do this before the game. I apologize. But in the post-game, you’re going to get your flowers, young man.”
The apology stemmed from prior commentary in which Shumpert had emphasized Tyrese Haliburton’s role as Pacers leader. There, he had overlooked Mathurin’s burgeoning impact. After Mathurin’s Game 3 heroics, Shumpert extending an olive branch highlights the respect earned by the 22-year-old guard.
Indiana Pacers Dominate Game 3 Against the Oklahoma City Thunder
Haliburton flirted with a triple-double (22 points, 11 assists, 9 rebounds) in Game 3 after an “unacceptable” performance in Game 2, according to Shumpert.
Pascal Siakam added a steady 21 points with six boards in Game 3, with Aaron Nesmith, Myles Turner, and Andrew Nembhard all contributing single-digit scores to the list. But it was Mathurin’s burst that emerged as the main catalyst for the Pacers’ win.
Bennedict Mathurin dropped the most points off the bench in an NBA Finals game since Jason Terry in 2011 🔥 pic.twitter.com/W6E6OQJ4Z2
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 12, 2025
The Thunder didn’t go quietly. Jalen Williams poured in 26 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 24 points, and Chet Holmgren posted a double-double (20 points, 10 rebounds). Ultimately, Oklahoma City faltered late by committing costly turnovers and going cold from beyond the arc in the Game 3 loss.
While the Thunder’s star power struggled to find its rhythm, Mathurin seized the moment. From his Montreal roots to a standout career at Arizona to now becoming a game-changer in the NBA Finals, Mathurin’s rise has been anything but quiet. His Game 3 eruption silenced critics and even drew a public apology from Iman Shumpert as he turned a single performance into a defining moment.
