Things have gotten chippy in the first-round series between the 4-seed Pacers and 1-seed Cavaliers.
Tensions reached a new high in the first quarter of Game 4 as the ongoing individual feud between Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin and Cleveland’s De’Andre Hunter resulted in Mathurin being ejected after the two wings were involved in a mini fracas.
While Mathurin’s night ended early, Hunter was also assessed a technical foul for his retaliation and the two needed to be separated by members of their respective coaching staffs.Â
📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
Here’s what to know about Mathurin’s ejection and what it could mean for him and the Pacers moving forward.
NBA PLAYOFFS HQ: Live NBA scores | NBA playoff schedule | NBA playoff bracket
Bennedict Mathurin ejection, explained
Mathurin was ejected after he received a Flagrant 2 foul for contact made with Hunter.
During an inbound play, Mathurin hits Hunter with a closed fist, causing the Cavaliers forward to double over. Once Hunter gathers himself, Mathurin stands with his arms raised as if he were challenging him or questioning his anger.
Hunter, upset with the closed fist hit, shoved Mathurin to the ground, causing teammates and coaches to intervene.
#Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin just got ejected for hitting De’Andre Hunter with “a closed fist” to his mid-section, according to the officials. Hunter and Myles Turner were given technicals.
4:32 left in the 1Q. pic.twitter.com/ODVxmdon2H
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) May 12, 2025
A review of the play deemed the contact unnecessary and a non-basketball play, resulting in a Flagrant 2 and automatic ejection.
What is a Flagrant 2 foul?
The NBA rulebook deems a Flagrant 2 as “Unnecessary and excessive contact committed by a player against an opponent.”
In the case of Mathurin, the closed fist hit is neither necessary or within the bounds of the game. As such, the foul was ruled a Flagrant 2, which results in an automatic ejection.
Will Bennedict Mathurin be suspended for Flagrant 2 foul?
A Flagrant 2 does not equate to an automatic suspension but the NBA league office will review how sportsmanlike Mathurin’s foul was.
The verbiage of a “closed fist” hit is important to note, as it is slightly different from a punch. Here is what the NBA rulebook states about punching fouls:
Any player who throws a punch, whether it connects or not, has committed an unsportsmanlike act. He will be ejected following confirmation during review by instant replay and suspended for a minimum of one game.
This rule applies whether play is in progress or the ball is dead.
This story will be updated.
