Mathurin credits Ty Lue's guidance for unlocking his aggressive scoring potential.
Bennedict Mathurin had plenty to say after dropping 38 points in his Los Angeles Clippers home debut, and most of it was about his new head coach.
The 23-year-old guard put on a show against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night at Intuit Dome, going 12-of-22 from the field and 12-of-13 from the free throw line in a 115-114 win that moved the Clippers to 27-28 on the season.
After the game, Mathurin gave Tyronn Lue a ton of credit for helping him find his groove in just his third game since coming over from the Indiana Pacers at the trade deadline.
"It's going to be awesome," Mathurin said of playing for Lue. "He might end up being my best friend. He told me to be aggressive, man. He told me to be myself, and I feel like he really knows my game. He really knows what I can do. So glad to have him as a coach. And I think that bringing everybody along, we can do a lot of great things."
Lue Lit a Fire Under Mathurin Early
The connection between Mathurin and Lue started taking shape before the 38-point explosion, as Lue pulled him aside during his debut in Houston after he looked a little too hesitant on the court.
"I thought he came out really passive, turned down some shots, wasn't aggressive," Lue said after Mathurin's second game with the team. "I pulled him to the side during a timeout and told him, 'you've got to be aggressive, you've got to be who you are, and we'll figure out the rest.' We needed every bit of it tonight."
Mathurin clearly took that message to heart and has not looked back since, scoring 17.4 points per game on 42.5 percent shooting this season between Indiana and Los Angeles while also pulling down 5.4 rebounds and dishing out 2.3 assists.
A Career Night at the Perfect Time
Thursday's performance was not just any good game for Mathurin, as the 38 points set a Los Angeles Clippers franchise record for most points scored in a home debut.
He started the night with 11 first-quarter points off the bench and then closed the game with 16 in the fourth, including a pair of clutch free throws with nine seconds left that put the Clippers up 115-112 and sealed the win heading into the second half of the season.
Kawhi Leonard, who has been carrying the load all year with 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game through 41 games, added 23 points against Denver but was thrilled to have Mathurin take over on Thursday night.
The Clippers Keep Rolling
The win over Denver extended one of the best stretches in the NBA this season, as the Clippers have now gone 21-7 since December 20 after starting the year at a brutal 6-21.
Getting Mathurin from Indiana in the Ivica Zubac trade gave this team another young scorer who can create his own shot and take pressure off Leonard, and it only took three games for the two of them to start looking like a real duo on the wing.
If Mathurin keeps playing like he did against the Nuggets and his relationship with Lue keeps growing the way he says it will, the Clippers could be a tough out when the playoffs roll around.