INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin was ejected in the first quarter of Game 4 on Sunday for hitting Cleveland Cavaliers backup De’Andre Hunter in the chest with a closed fist.
Even without one of their top scorers, the Pacers tied an NBA playoff record by taking a 41-point halftime lead and rolled past the Cavaliers 129-109 to take a 3-1 lead in this Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Replays showed Mathurin extending his fist into Hunter, who responded by wagging his finger at Mathurin and following him toward midcourt, where he shoved Mathurin to the ground with two hands. Pacers center Myles Turner then ran across the court and ran into Hunter.
Following a replay review, the referees called Mathurin for a flagrant 2, an automatic ejection, drawing a chorus of boos from Pacers fans. Technical fouls were given to Turner and Hunter.
“I had a lot of questions about it,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “I saw one still shot where it looked he had his hand flat, you know? But they a lot of different views. Whatever happened, happened. He’ll accept the ejection and whatever else happens from it. We’ve just got to move forward.”
The Pacers can close out the series and earn their second straight appearance in the conference finals Tuesday in Cleveland, where they won the first two games.
Mathurin did not score in his 80 seconds on the court. Hunter, who missed Game 2 with an injured wrist, had five points and four rebounds while Turner made all four of his 3-point attempts and finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
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