Lance Stephenson can be maddening in his inconsistency and, given off-court issues in the past, is not always beloved by everyone. In the same breath, the now 27-year-old Pacers swingman can be quite entertaining on the floor when he has it cooking and Knicks rookie Frank Ntilikina found that out firsthand on Monday evening.
With the Pacers holding a (very) comfortable 25-point lead before halftime, Stephenson seemingly felt empowered to put on a show and he went deep into his bag of tricks to put Ntilikina on skates in a hurry.
Born Ready out here making up new moves 🙌 https://t.co/JMrp3zkvpY
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) December 5, 2017
It could to be over when Stephenson through a rather pedestrian behind-the-back pass but, once he got the ball back, “Born Ready” decided to empty the cupboard and, well, Ntilikina had very little chance at resistance.
In some ways, Stephenson’s current role is perfect, as he is receiving just 21 minutes of playing time per game (scoring eight points and grabbing five rebounds per night) and operating in relative obscurity with a middling Pacers team. Still, there are nights when he is truly electric and, as fans of teams like the Hornets, Pelicans, Clippers and Grizzlies are keenly aware, he is just better at the game of basketball when operating within the borders of Indiana.