Heading into Game 4 of the first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers, there is plenty on the line for the Cleveland Cavaliers trailing 2-1. This has also pushed the intensity to a high level with Sunday’s contest being a potentially altering matchup.
With that in mind, the well-documented personal battles between both LeBron James and Lance Stephenson became the center of attention once again as the two got into a bit of a tiff in the fourth quarter as James gave Stephenson a little shove that led to a technical foul being assessed on him.
Shortly following that technical foul being given to James, Stephenson made it a point to try and get the All-Star forward to pick a second technical foul by getting physical with him to force a jumpball.
Throughout his career with the Pacers, Stephenson has long tried to get under James’ skin that goes back to his days with the Miami Heat in their deep playoff matchups. Given the flow of the game at that moment with the Pacers erasing a double-digit deficit, it led to the four-time league MVP letting off a little stem.
It was a bit of acting on the part of Stephenson, but it was enough to draw the technical foul on James. Regardless of how Game 4 finishes, there should be more moments like this over the remainder of the series with the Pacers forward attempting to get the 33-year-old off his game in any manner he can on the court.