LeBron Didn’t Hesitate To Call Lance Stephenson ‘Dirty’ After The Cavs’ Latest Meltdown

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The Cleveland Cavaliers somehow managed to cap off an absolutely lousy week with an epic meltdown on Friday night against the Indiana Pacers, blowing a 22-point lead to drop their third straight game, 97-95. It was even more stunning given that the Cavs went on a blistering 20-0 run early in the first quarter en route to what appeared to be an easy victory.

But the Pacers rallied behind 22 points from Darren Collison, 19 from Victor Oladipo, and 16 points and 11 rebounds from Lance Stephenson, the latter of whom initiated a classic throwback moment in his lifelong beef with LeBron James early in the fourth quarter.

LeBron retaliated and earned a technical foul for his part in the dust-up, which, of course, is precisely what Stephenson was going for. When asked about it after the game, LeBron dispensed with any diplomatic pretense and told reporters exactly what he thought about Stephenson.

“Lance is just a little dirty, that’s all. I mean, we got history, so I should’ve known, though. I’ve know since school that it’s not the guy who tells the joke who gets caught. It’s the guy who laughs. So they caught me on the retaliation. He played well.”

The only one laughing is Stephenson, who’s been getting under LeBron’s skin since his Miami Heat days and has resurrected his career in no small part due to regaining some of that swagger from his early years in Indiana. The Pacers remain undefeated against the Cavs this season.

LeBron’s on-court frustration comes amid all sorts of turmoil surrounding the Cavs this week. Friday’s loss comes on the heels of a 28-point drubbing at the hands of the Timberwolves, followed by a 34-point blowout by the Raptors. LeBron has been testy with reporters as a result, and yet another recent report claims that his own teammates aren’t thrilled about the way he’s orchestrating the offense lately.

As a veteran team, the Cavs are reluctant to hit the panic button, but their recent struggles are symptomatic of overarching issues that could very well torpedo any remaining title aspirations they might harbor. That’s a particularly troubling prospect given LeBron’s looming free agency and all the speculation constantly surrounding it.

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