The Indiana Pacers are amid a heated battle against the Dallas Mavericks. Both teams headed into tonight’s game with the same number of wins (34) and wanted to add another victory to their record. As things got chippy during the game, Pacers’ young star Bennedict Mathurin was unhappy with a call on the floor.
During a timeout in the second quarter, Mathurin started walking toward veteran official Tony Brothers to argue about the ruling. Brothers saw the Pacers star walking towards him and hilariously pointed towards the bench, sassily gesturing Mathurin to go “that way”. That was a rather smart move by the veteran official, as Mathurin could have earned himself a technical foul if he started the argument. However, Brothers’ hilarious gesture left the NBA World in splits, and they took to social media to share their reactions.
Tony Brothers sending Bennedict Mathurin back to the bench with a “that way” when he was about to start arguing. Dying at that face. pic.twitter.com/h4YsuyzCjf
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) March 6, 2024
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One fan hilariously compared Brothers to Lakers superstar LeBron James, “Bro is the Bron of refs.” The fan could have been referring to Tony Brothers’ longevity as he has been an NBA referee since the 1994-95 season. That is comparable to LeBron’s 21-year career as a player.
Bro is the Bron of refs.
— Unnamed Las Vegas NBA team (@LasVegasNBAteam) March 6, 2024
This fan claimed Brothers was not mad at Mathurin. He was just disappointed.
Tony Brothers isn’t mad, he’s disappointed.
— Bettor Vision (@BettorVision) March 6, 2024
One fan even called Tony his favorite official because of his hilarious personality.
My favorite Ref he’s hilarious 😂
— Himothy (@RuckerParkBoy98) March 6, 2024
This fan speculated that Tony did not want to listen to Mathurin’s argument because the Pacers guard is still new in the league. According to the fan, Mathurin needs at least 5 more years of experience for Brothers to listen to his argument.
Tony said you need about 5 more years under your belt to argue with me lmao
— AC Tatum (@actatumonline) March 6, 2024
Unlike the rest of the NBA World, this fan was not pleased with Brothers’ attitude and claimed the officials have too much power.
Refs have way too much power. We need #AI to referee
— Adequate Capital (@breakout_retest) March 6, 2024
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Can the Indiana Pacers come out with a win tonight?
When Tony Brothers told Bennedict Mathurin to head the other way, the Pacers were leading the Mavs by 9 points. Maybe Mathurin was unhappy with the officiating because he did not want the Pacers to lose their lead. And the Pacers did not let that happen. Tyrese Haliburton and Co. dominated the Mavs’ defense in the third quarter and outscored them 32-18. The Pacers have a commanding 18-point lead heading into the fourth quarter with a 106-88 score.
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Despite his hilarious interaction with Brothers, Mathurin has had a decent game tonight. He has already scored 16 points in the first three quarters. The Pacers will look to continue their dominant form in the final quarter and extend their lead to get a blowout victory over Luka Doncic and Co. The Pacers are 8th in the Eastern Conference standings and every win matters for them. Do you think Tyrese Haliburton and Co. will be able to hold on to their lead and come out with a victory against the Mavs?
Read More: Caitlin Clark Welcomed to Indiana Fever by Pacers Legend Shortly After Committing to 2024 WNBA Draft