Throughout his NBA career, Lance Stephenson has developed a reputation for getting under his opponents’s skin. On Wednesday, he appeared to succeed in claiming another victim.
Stephenson and Denver guard Austin Rivers got into an altercation midway through the fourth quarter, when Stephenson tipped the ball away from Rivers in front of the Pacers bench to force a turnover. Rivers appeared to take exception with getting hit in the face and getting bumped by Stephenson after the play, leading to some shoving between the two.
Rivers and Stephenson were both issued technical fouls on the play. Less than a minute later, Rivers picked up his second technical and was ejected for throwing an elbow at Stephenson’s face—though replays show that he didn’t make any contact.