Of course, it was bush league. Of course, it was unprofessional. Of course, everybody is talking today about the near-brawl Lance Stephenson sparked by foolishly laying the ball in with 3.3 seconds while the Raptors were waving the white flag in a monstrously important 108-90 victory over Toronto.
What, you expect a new-and-improved Lance to return to Indianapolis and play by the Marquis of Queensbury rules? You really believed him when he told the local media how he was now a more mature young man? Words. Just empty words.
"I just want to say sorry to them (the Raptors)," Stephenson said, and yes, he seemed suitably contrite. "I mean, the crowd was cheering me on and I just wanted to do it for the fans. I say sorry. I didn't mean no harm or hard feelings."
Oh, Lance.
Lance is Lance, which means he is the human embodiment of a double-edged sword, inspiring and leading the Pacers to a victory they absolutely had to have, only to sully it with a foolish and impertinent lay-in at game's end. You love the emotion, which became so infectious, we even saw the perpetually stoic Jeff Teague flex and smile. You love what Lance did on the bench, even when the Pacers were behind by 19 points in the first half, yelling and keeping his teammates' heads in the game. And you love what Lance did in the second half, taking over at point after a rough first half, finishing with 12 points, three assists and a steal.
Stephenson may prove to be the Pacers' saving grace, bringing them back from the precipice of playoff elimination in the final two weeks of this season. Or he's going to revert back to his old ways, flashing choke signs at Lebron James, blowing in James' ear or enraging the Raptors with an unnecessary game-ending layup.
At the very least – and this is really important – he just made the Pacers a whole lot more interesting. Interesting in a good way, interesting in a bad way, but interesting, for sure. For most of this season, the Pacers' have been one of the league's most nondescript, dispassionate teams, a middling franchise that can't get out of its own way. But Stephenson, who is an exposed nerve ending, gives the Pacers their emotional centerpiece, even if that emotion is sometimes inappropriate or over the top. Now there's a reason to pay attention to this team, if only to see what Stephenson does next.
In 72 hours' time, he has turned the Pacers into a team that looks like it truly cares about making the post-season, which remains a dicey but doable proposition. Honestly, this was a dull team, a bunch of emotional flat-liners, but in the space of just a few days, Stephenson has given them a booster shot of passion and adrenaline.
Which is a good thing.
Except when it isn't.
Like with 3.3 seconds to go. Honestly, we should be talking today about George, who has followed up his incredible month of March with two huge games in April, 43 points against Cleveland and 35 against the Raptors, plus 10 rebounds. We should be talking about Thaddeus Young, who's finally getting healthy and had 15 points and 11 rebounds. Or Teague, who had 20 points and six assists.
Stephenson, though, he knows how to steal the show. He steals it by doing good things, by energizing his teammates, by taking the defensive load off George by guarding DeMar DeRozan down the stretch, by doing things only Stephenson can do. And he steals it by doing Lance things, by failing to dribble out the clock and laying the ball in with the game out of reach. (At least he didn't Tomahawk dunk it, or we might have had fisticuffs).
Suffice to say, the Raptors were not amused.
"Tasteless, classless," said Toronto's P.J. Tucker. "There's no room in the league for that. I've got a lot of respect for their guys, PG, Monta (Ellis), other guys. But there's a way to win in this league and there's a way to lose, and that ain't the way to win. That ain't the way to finish games and I think those guys know that. He has no class, no taste."
Tucker was asked about Stephenson's reputation.
"I don't care about his reputation; I couldn't care less," he said. "I don't even know who he is. He just got back in the league, so I don't know what he's so hyped about. But it doesn't matter. There's a way to win and lose in this league, and that's not it."
He's right.
He's absolutely right.
And it's too bad, really, because outside of George – did we mention he was marvelous again? – Stephenson was central to the Pacers' comeback from a 19-point deficit and their eventual victory. In two short games, he has given this team a jolt of electricity that's been lacking all season long. Did you notice the bench during the game? They were on their feet, yelling, pushing their teammates. They were barely recognizable, honestly.
"That's all (number) six, man, that's all six," George said. "It's contagious. When he gets into that mode and gets fired up, it's contagious for the whole team. That's him. It's natural. That's who Lance is and it's what this locker room lacked…He was just firing guys up. It makes guys around him believe. He brought the best out of everybody."
George was asked about Stephenson's ill-advised lay-up.
"I'll take the fault in passing it to him because I knew he'd lay it up," he said. "But it's kind of a basketball cardinal rule that you hold the ball. The possession before that, I was looking over at Coach (Nate McMillan) asking him what he wanted me to do, and he told me to take the shot. I would have been fine just holding onto it. Obviously, Lance thought otherwise."
Lance being Lance.
It's going to be a wild ride to the end. Hold on for your lives.
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