In his first game back in Indiana, Lance Stephenson looked just like his old self, bringing a little fire for the Pacers and sparking a tussle at the end of the game.
Even with Paul George’s long-term future up in the air, at least we know one thing about the Indiana Pacers’ next three years: With Lance Stephenson on board, they certainly won’t be uneventful.
In his first game back in Indiana since rejoining the Pacers, Born Ready looked right at home coming off the bench and helped his team turn a 19-point deficit into an 18-point victory to keep playoff hopes alive.
And, in typical Lance Stephenson fashion, he couldn’t help but start a scuffle in the game’s closing moments.
The Raptors did not appreciate Lance's layup pic.twitter.com/ItJuze5Ki7
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 5, 2017
With about five seconds to go, Stephenson chose to pad his point total rather than dribble the ball and run out the clock. As he calmly walked back down the court like nothing had happened, the Toronto Raptors took exception to his lack of sportsmanship and a small tussle ensued.
DeMarre Carroll, P.J. Tucker and DeMar DeRozan accosted Stephenson and got in his face, but Born Ready just kept walking to further antagonize his opponent. Basically, vintage Lance Stephenson stuff here.
He finished the game with 12 points and three assists on 5-of-10 shooting.
Though signing the injury-prone guard to a three-year deal was a bit of a stretch considering how fast he’s worn out his welcome in the NBA, Stephenson can help bolster a Pacers bench that could use some extra scoring, playmaking, and yes, the kind of fire that typically sparks these kinds of incidents.
Stephenson’s last successful season in the NBA came in Indiana, and though that was under a different head coach in Frank Vogel, perhaps playing alongside his old teammate Paul George will help him recapture that same magic as the Pacers try to stay alive in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
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While his antics may lead to some altercations just like this, a little fight is exactly what Indiana needs right now.
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