March 2, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Benedict Maturin (9) drives around Golden State Warriors guard Pat Spencer (61) during the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Image The Los Angeles Clippers’ revamped backcourt will be in full focus Tuesday against the Indiana Pacers in Inglewood, California.
Not only will the Clippers face Benedict Maturin against the team that traded him last month, but they will also face Darius Garland, who made his debut with the team in Monday’s 114-101 upset win over the Golden State Warriors.
Sent to Los Angeles at the trade deadline as part of Ivica Zubac’s return, Mathurin has already settled into a backup role in eight games with his new team, averaging 18.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per contest.
Maturin is in his fourth season with the Pacers and has averaged 16.2 points in 245 games (110 starts) since being the sixth overall draft pick out of Arizona in 2022.
Garland finally joined Mathurin on the floor and overcame his slow start Monday to score 12 points in 23 minutes. He was just 1 of 3 from the floor with three turnovers in the first half before contributing to a rally that helped Los Angeles overcome a 16-point deficit early in the third quarter.
Garland, who played his first game since January 14 due to a toe injury, showed no signs of rust, but found his flow after receiving adjustments from the bench.
“The adjustment in the second half was to let him run with single picks, center of the floor, either way, and that really loosened him up,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “We didn’t play for a while in the first half, and as soon as we came out we blitzed. It was a tough position. But in the second half we seemed to be in a bit more rhythm.”
Zubac has yet to debut for the Pacers as he continues to recover from a left ankle sprain suffered in the Clippers’ win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 20. He tried to overcome the injury before the deadline, and the Pacers have now opted for rest over immediate playing time following the trade.
Indiana, which has lost six straight games, has continued to have losing seasons since Tyrese Haliburton suffered an Achilles tendon injury in last year’s NBA Finals. The Pacers will try to break out of that rut as they begin a four-game West Coast road trip.
During Sunday’s 125-106 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, Jarath Walker led the team with 21 points and rookie Kam Jones recorded his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 assists.
“I feel like the game is slowing down as I get more and more reps,” said Jones, who was making his sixth start and 24th game of his career. “Just getting game time and getting reps makes it a lot easier to read.”
Indiana’s leading scorer Pascal Siakam (23.9 points) missed his third straight game with a left wrist sprain, and assists leader Andrew Nemhard (7.4) was out with back and neck pain.
–Field level media
