The Pacers have brought back 16 players for a second chapter in their 50-season history, six since joining the NBA.
They've never experienced anything like what happened Tuesday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, however, when Lance Stephenson lit a spark that ignited the fans and his teammates for better, and the Toronto Raptors for worse.
Billy Knight came back. Newly-minted Hall of Fame George McGinnis came back. Mark Jackson came back. Dale Davis came back. Al Harrington came back. And now Lance Stephenson is back. And this collection of Pacers, to its good fortune, will never be the same again
Whether he was shouting encouragement from the bench, wagging his tongue to celebrate the good moments, keeping up a running dialogue with Raptors, stopping to stare at front-row fans after dropping a 3-pointer or even dribbling in for an ill-advised layup in the final seconds, Stephenson made things happen in the Pacers' 108-90 victory at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.