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Bennedict Mathurin of the Indiana Pacers goes up for a dunk over Jalen Duren of the Detroit Pistons during the NBA Rising Stars basketball game in Indianapolis, Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana guard Bennedict Mathurin put on a show for Pacers fans Friday night, earning the Rising Stars MVP award after scoring 13 points in a 26-13 victory in the championship game.
San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama didn’t make it that far. Despite scoring 11 points, his team was eliminated in the second game.
INDY'S OWN.
Bennedict Mathurin takes home the #PaniniRisingStars MVP in his home arena 🙌🏆 pic.twitter.com/u11FZX4WlL
— NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2024
Jalen Williams, Mathurin’s teammate, scored the other 13 points to give coach Jalen Rose the title.
But it was an all-Pacers celebration.
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In addition to Mathurin’s big night — he heard “M-V-P! M-V-P!” chants while scoring a game-high 18 in the first game — Jalen Rose and coach Detlef Schrempf, both former Pacers players also advanced to the championship round. And Indiana rookie Oscar Tshiebwe led Schrempf’s team with eight points in the title game.
Mathurin’s early scoring flurry helped Rose’s team pull out to a quick 12-4 lead and a 6-0 run set it up for Oklahoma City’s Williams to close it out.