Photo Credit: ESPN
2. The Stephenson Effect- If you’ve watched any of Pacers guard Lance Stephenson, you know how much of a nuisance he can be. Teammates love him, opponents cannot stand the thought of having to share the court with him. That’s what makes his game so effective.
Stephenson came off the bench and added a huge spark for Indiana, finishing with twelve points and five rebounds. One cannot understate how important his defense on LeBron James was on Sunday as well.
“When he plays at a high level its huge for us. We just need him to just continue doing what he’s doing and keep building on it, “Pacers guard Victor Oladipo said after Sunday’s game. “He contributed in every way- rebounding, passing, scoring- and when he does that, it’s huge. So he just needs to continue getting better throughout the series.”
At this point, it might just be a proven fact that Stephenson wakes up for games in which he gets to play against LeBron. He certainly tends to thrive in situations such as Game 1, and the Pacers are elated with what he’s providing off the bench. Cleveland needs to put that to an end abruptly before his confidence gets sky-high. The last thing they need is an extremely confident Lance Stephenson coming to wreak havoc off the bench.
With Stephenson being such an emotional player, getting into his head can affect the way he’s playing.
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