Lance Stephenson’s first game back in a Pacers uniform featured plenty of fireworks, and the Toronto Raptors left Indy with a 108-90 loss and some hurt feelings.
Stephenson appeared to rub salt in the visitors’ wounds with a late-game layup, which predictably led to yelling and shoving.
The Raptors weren’t happy with Lance after his last-second layup. (via @BleacherReport) pic.twitter.com/48kTg4xmri
— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) April 5, 2017
P.J. Tucker accused Born Ready of being “classless.”
Per the Indy Star:
Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan and P.J. Tucker were offended by what they felt was an unnecessary layup by Stephenson, the Pacers’ fiery guard. After Stephenson made his meaningless basket with 3 seconds left, DeRozan and Tucker confronted him, causing a scuffle at midcourt.
“Tasteless, classless,” Tucker said Stephenson’s actions. “There’s nowhere in the league for that. They have a lot of respectable guys. (Paul George), Al (Jefferson) and Monta (Ellis). There’s a way to win and there’s a way to lose in this league. That ain’t the way to win. That ain’t the way you finish games. I think those guys know that. That dude, he has no class. He has no taste.”
“I’ll take fault in passing it to him because I knew he was going to lay it up,” George said of Stephenson. “It’s kind of a basketball cardinal rule. You just hold onto the ball.”
Born Ready was apologetic after the game, telling reporters that he, “didn’t mean no harm:”
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