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[Saba Sports News] Indiana Pacers swingman Bennedict Mathurin was ejected from Sunday’s playoff game after throwing a punch at Cleveland Cavaliers forward De’Andre Hunter.
The incident occurred with 4:33 left in the first quarter of Game 4 in the second-round series. Following an off-ball foul on the Cavaliers, Mathurin and Hunter were seen exchanging words.
Mathurin gestured theatrically toward the crowd, mimicking the “Are you not entertained?” pose from Gladiator, which appeared to provoke Hunter. The Cavaliers forward responded by pointing in Mathurin’s face and shoving him to the floor.
Initially, fans and broadcasters were unsure what sparked Hunter’s reaction. However, upon review, officials determined that Mathurin had struck Hunter with a closed fist before the shove.
As a result, Mathurin was assessed a flagrant-2 foul and ejected from the game. Hunter and Pacers center Myles Turner were also given technical fouls.
Cleveland received two free throws and retained possession after the scuffle. Hunter made one of the two to trim the Pacers’ lead to 22-11.
Tensions between Mathurin and Hunter have simmered throughout the series, and in the high-stakes atmosphere of Game 4, those emotions finally boiled over.