Mathurin spoke on the fight in this retooled Los Angeles Clippers team after a tough loss to the Orlando Magic.
The Los Angeles Clippers fell to the Orlando Magic 111-109 on Sunday night at Intuit Dome after Bennedict Mathurin's potential game-winning three from 25 feet hit the back of the rim and bounced out at the buzzer.
It was the second straight game the Clippers lost on a missed three in the closing seconds, but Mathurin was focused on what this group has been building since the trade deadline shook up the roster.
"You want to make sure that the guys are willing to fight," Mathurin said after the game. "I've been embraced by my teammates and the fans so it's been good."
A Tough Loss That Showed Heart
The loss dropped the Clippers to 27-30 and back into 10th place in the Western Conference, while the Magic improved to 30-26.
After Desmond Bane's 36-point night helped Orlando build a four-point lead late, rookie center Yanic Konan Niederhauser blocked Bane's shot with eight seconds left to give the Clippers one final look.
Kawhi Leonard, who was being doubled, swung it to a wide-open Mathurin on the wing, but the shot would not fall.
Leonard finished with a game-high 37 points and approached Mathurin right after to offer encouragement.
"It means a lot, man," Mathurin said of Leonard's support. "He's obviously, in my opinion, one of the greatest players to ever play the game, so just to have him come and showing love and showing support... there's many more ahead of me."
Mathurin Finding His Groove in Los Angeles
Even though the shot did not go in, the bigger picture for Mathurin has been nothing but positive since he arrived.
The former Indiana Pacer was acquired at the deadline in the deal that sent Ivica Zubac to the Pacers, and he has wasted no time making an impact.
Sunday was just his fifth game in a Clippers uniform and his third straight scoring 20 or more for a team that has been reinventing itself on the fly.
Mathurin finished with 21 points, nine rebounds, and five assists off the bench, shooting 7-of-16 from the field.
That came after a career-high-tying 38-point explosion against the Denver Nuggets and 26 points against the Los Angeles Lakers.
On the season he is averaging 18.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, but since joining the Clippers his scoring has jumped to over 22 per contest alongside Leonard.
Head coach Tyronn Lue is not worried about the missed shot. "He had a good shot at the end and he didn't make it, but it's not a big deal," Lue said.
What Comes Next
The Clippers are 4-4 since the trade deadline and still in the play-in conversation in the Western Conference.
With Darius Garland still working his way back from a toe sprain, the Clippers have been leaning on Leonard and Mathurin to carry the load.
Los Angeles hosts the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night, looking to snap a two-game skid.
If Mathurin keeps playing the way he has since arriving, that shot at the buzzer will be a distant memory before long.