Mathurin taunts Ivey, blows $25K bet with Banchero in Rising Stars opener

Bennedict Mathurin was in a talkative mood during Game 1 of the Rising Stars competition.

Playing for Team Jalen at the event, the Indiana Pacers wing appeared to try to get under the skin of his Team Tamika counterpart, Jaden Ivey. Mathurin delivered a little trash talk after getting the Detroit Pistons guard to commit a shooting foul on the perimeter with the score 32-26.

"Even in the Rising Stars game, you can't guard me," Mathurin appeared to tell Ivey.

Mathurin later explained his reasoning for going after Ivey in the opening contest, referencing how the Pistons guard was picked fifth overall in the 2022 draft, right before Mathurin went sixth to the Pacers.

"I love playing against him. My challenge is to always bring my best against him, you know," he told the TNT panel after helping Team Jalen win the Rising Stars event while earning MVP honors, per Setting The Pace's Alex Golden. "He was drafted ahead of me ... I feel like he brings the best out of me every time we compete against each other. So, there's no hate."

Mathurin's Game 1 hijinks didn't end there, though. With an opportunity to win the opening game from the charity stripe, Mathurin tried upping the ante, betting opposing forward Paolo Banchero $25,000 that he'd convert both free throws.

Mathurin, however, missed both.

The 21-year-old wasn't disappointed for very long, though. He finished with 18 points and immediately redeemed himself by hitting a fadeaway game-winner to take Team Jalen to the final.