Ian Mahinmi plays with Paris terrorist attacks on his mind

Friday started with Ian Mahinmi being his usual effervescent self, beaming with positive energy and booming encouraging words to his teammates: “Fresh legs tonight!”

By the end of the day, a 107-103 win for his Indiana Pacers, Mahinmi had been robbed of his smile and light, looking drained and muttering curse words to himself.

It was almost 4 a.m. the next day in Paris, and his homeland had been was under attack.

“It’s tough because it’s very scary,” Mahinmi said. “For me, being away from my family it’s a little bit of a tough situation.”

On Friday night, hours before the Pacers faced the Minnesota Timberwolves, at least 129 had been killed and more than 350 injured in coordinated terrorist attacks in Paris.

Explosions thundered outside the national soccer stadium during a match between France and Germany. Several people were gunned down outside popular restaurants and bars. According to French officials, more than 100 concertgoers were pronounced dead inside the Bataclan concert hall.

A world away in Indianapolis, Mahinmi played his best game of the season. He completed plays at the rim, caught laser passes that a year ago would’ve burned through his hands and snatched rebounds with authority. In 30 minutes and 54 seconds, Mahinmi scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds — each of those numbers either set or tied a season best. And yet, none of it mattered.

Afterward Mahinmi, a native of Rouen, France — about 75 miles northwest of Paris — could only think about what happened back home.

“Right now,” Mahinmi told reporters. “I’m going to call my people and see what’s going on exactly.”

Mahinmi has worn his country’s colors in FIBA tournaments but has made his name stateside in the NBA since 2007. He found his wife in San Antonio and his two daughters were born in this country. So Mahinmi knows America — its splendor as well as its tragedies with mass shootings in theaters, churches and schools. Now, Mahinmi has noticed similar terrors infecting his France.

• BOX SCORE: Pacers 107, Timberwolves 103

Last January, the Pacers played in Oakland and just before that game Mahinmi heard rumblings about 10 people killed execution style inside the offices of Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical newspaper. The same happened Friday; as Mahinmi was getting dressed for the game his phone would not stop buzzing about another attack.

“This is new in my country,” Mahinmi said in a low voice. “It’s hard to explain. How do you react? What is the problem? It’s obviously something deep.”

As family members sent e-mails and his group of friends communicated through texts, Mahinmi wanted to stop his head from swimming. So he tried to convince himself of the importance of Friday night’s game. The Pacers had an opponent coming in on a second night of a back to back, a team brimming with young talent in Andrew Wiggins, Zach Lavine and Karl-Anthony Towns, his matchup for the night. Though Towns — the No. 1 draft pick and still a teenager until Sunday — may be a rookie, he’s one of the best shot blockers in the NBA and has six double-doubles through the first eight games. Remembering all this, Mahinmi avoided the headlines that read “Death toll soars...” and silenced his phone.

“I didn’t go through the links because I didn’t have time,” Mahinmi said. “I got here ... then I was like, let me try to focus on this game, try to win this game.”

In the first quarter, Mahinmi looked as active as normal, barking out coverages as the backline defender and setting high screens to get his perimeter-oriented teammates open looks. During an early transition opportunity, Mahinmi trailed on a 3-on-1 break and Paul George rewarded him for sprinting the floor. The pass led to Mahinmi’s first two points, an emphatic two-handed smash.

Throughout the game, Mahinmi wasn’t always the second or third or even fourth option but he made the most of his opportunities. He showed nice post moves against Towns. He ran the floor and in the third quarter caught a Monta Ellis pass at the free-throw line, never fumbling or traveling on his way to two more points. His only blemish — four missed free throws during the final quarter as the Pacers fought to hold on after nearly losing a 27-point lead.

Mahinmi looked displeased with himself as he checked out of the game in the final 55.1 seconds, the Pacers grasping to a 101-100 lead. However, his teammates came through. First with Ellis driving in for a layup to extend the lead to three points. On the Wolves’ next play, Ellis made the defensive play of the game with a block from behind on Andre Miller.

After the game, the Pacers talked about such things like the Ellis block, Minnesota’s rally and the team’s 6-4 record. Mahinmi was one of the last to return to the locker room, his headphones dangling around his neck and his spirit sagging even lower.

“Your people good?” Solomon Hill asked when he saw Mahinmi come into view.

Mahinmi, holding his cell phone, responded: “I need to call my dad.”

What began as a typical game day for Mahinmi — his everyday joy on full display after a morning shoot around and his wardrobe of a burgundy leather jacket paired with a cheetah-print T-shirt and skinny black jeans still looking like he stepped off a runaway into the Pacers’ parking lot — ended in sadness.

“You feel like anything can happen at anytime,” Mahinmi said. “You don’t feel safe. You don’t feel secure.”

Follow Star reporter Candace Buckner on Twitter: @CandaceDBuckner.