2. Extra Juice
Following the game on Sunday, Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo said that Dan Gilbert’s comments about the Pacers’ Paul George trade added fuel to his fire. Oladipo scored a game-high 32 points while dishing out four assists and hitting six of his nine 3-point attempts. Much like if the Cavaliers continue to struggle to shoot, if Oladipo hits six 3s again, the Cavs will struggle to win. It will be very interesting if the bulletin board material provided by Gilbert is able to fuel the Pacers to three more wins or if the juice will be short lived.
One thing we know for sure, is that the LeBron vs. Lance Stephenson beef is not short lived. This rivalry dates back to when Lance was a high school basketball player in NY and was being hailed as the next LeBron. Lance has a fire in him that so many NBA players have, where he truly thinks he is the best player in the world. While this mindset is exactly why he’s where he is at this point in his career it is also the reason he doesn’t shy away from the King. Lance doesn’t care if LeBron scores on him nine straight trips down the floor, he still wants to guard him next trip. While this rivalry mainly dates back to LeBron’s Miami days, everyone watching Sunday got a look at why this is one of the best player vs. player rivalries the league has.
There has never been much respect between the two guys, especially after Stephenson got called for two hard fouls on LeBron Sunday afternoon. Late in the game LeBron and Stephenson were seen jawing at each other as they crossed half court, and LeBron had a little grin on his face. The King rarely needs extra motivation, but a guy like Lance Stephenson may be exactly what gives him some extra juice Wednesday night.
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