The game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers was highly anticipated since it was the first duel between young Quebec stars Luguentz Dort and Bennedict Mathurin.
It was finally Dort and the Thunder who had the upper hand by winning 126 to 106 at the Paycom Center. The Montrealer was the team’s third-leading scorer with a double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds.
It is the highest total of rebounds of his career, and his second double-double of the season.
Mathurin was not outdone despite the defeat, but could not be decisive. The 20-year-old, three years Dort’s junior, finished with 13 points and five rebounds. He led the Pacers with three completions from the three-point line.
The two Quebecers exchanged a warm handshake after the game, then swapped their jerseys number 5 and 00 to keep a souvenir of this special evening.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Isaiah Joe led the Thunder side’s scoresheet with 23 points apiece. The Oklahoma team was particularly dominant in the first and third quarters with 36 and 42 points respectively.
The Pacers (23-23) face the Denver Nuggets on Friday, while the Thunder (22-23) take on the Sacramento Kings on the same day. Only one other regular season duel is scheduled between Dort and Mathurin by the end of the campaign, March 31, in Indiana.