Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin was handed a one-game suspension in connection to an earlier contact incident he had with a referee during a game. According to the NBA, the act violates its very stringent rules on playing and officiating behavior.

The Incident

This was during an intense game staged earlier this week. Mathurin, unhappy about a close call, bumped into one of the officials as he demonstrated his disagreement. Although the officials cannot prove injury from that contact, the league has a long-standing policy of zero tolerance whereby any unwanted physical contact is not to be tolerated.

NBA response and rationale-the-same.

The NBA was quick to assess the incident and placed a one-game suspension without pay. The league said that respect for officials and integrity of the sport would not be compromised. Physical contact with officials, intentional, or not, demeans the authority of officials and sets an ill example for players at all levels of the game.

The league-the above suspension matches the history of punishing similar offenses of players and so does the objective behind the said action.

Mathurin’s Reaction and Team Support

Mathurin is disappointed over the incident which he said had not been intended as a contact with the referee and he accepted the suspension without protest in view of the leagues decision.

The entire Pacers organization has culled its graces about this young guard preferring to emphasize just his professionalism and how much he has grown since being in the league. The head coach, Rick Carlisle, said this regarding the youngster, “Bennedict is a passionate player, and while this was a moment we would all classify as unfortunate, we know he’ll learn from this and continue to represent the team well.”

Effects on the Pacers

The suspension of Mathurin comes at a critical juncture in the season as the Pacers work hard to maintain their playoff position in an extremely hard-fought Eastern Conference. Mathurin has emerged as one of the cornerstones of the team this season, averaging double digits per game and pouring in valuable minutes from the bench.

Highly dependent on suitable new rotations established for the next game, the team is very urgent using some other players to fill in Mathurin’s place. However, this short suspension is unlikely to affect the momentum of the team for a long time.

Conclusion

The one-game suspension illustrates the NBA’s intention to maintain order and respect in the game. Bennedict Mathurin’s action may be evident that it was not intentional, yet the league’s action goes miles in reinforcing the position on where players stand. Mathurin and the Pacers, however, are to forge ahead much as they would have liked to forget this as a timespan for growing and learning.