Lance Stephenson thinks he has LeBron James right where he wants him.
Speaking with reporters after practice on Saturday, Stephenson expressed confidence over the Indiana Pacers’ 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series against the favored Cleveland Cavaliers.
“We have full control right now,” said the mercurial swingman, according to Mike Wells of ESPN. “We have to keep it. We get another win in our building, and that’s when I think they’re going to start panicking. We’re going to bring it like we [brought] it the first game.
“Our goal is to stay together, try to contain LeBron, play team defense,” he added. “That team is a good team. I don’t think they’re gonna get frustrated.”
Indeed, the Pacers are in the driver’s seat after stealing Game 1 in Cleveland and defending their home court in Game 3 to take the surprising 2-1 series lead. However, it is obviously impossible to count out the four-time MVP James, who has fought back from way more insurmountable deficits in the past. But leave it to Stephenson, who has made a living of trying to get into James’ head, to poke the bear by making inflammatory comments here.
