Lance Stephenson made headlines after Game 3 when he claimed that LeBron James was showing signs of weakness by talking trash to him.
James, of course, refused to make that into a story. Instead, he came out in Game 4 with a sense of urgency, and dominated throughout the contest, finishing with 32 points on 13-of-21 shooting from the field, 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Stephenson wasn’t nearly as good, as he struggled to an ordinary night with nine points, five rebounds and four assists.
The Heat now have a commanding 3-1 lead after the wire-to-wire 102-90 victory on Monday.
Clearly dissatisfied with Stephenson’s commentary, Dick Vitale had the following to say after the contest:
Lance u really got into @KingJames head-my friend he took your heart apart-just cool it & play hoops – The King let his GAME do the talking
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) May 27, 2014
To be fair, Stephenson softened his stance on his comments prior to the game and credited James after the contest.
“I have no regrets,” Stephenson said. “I tried to get into his head. I guess he stepped up and got the win. I can take the heat. I can take the fire.”
During the playoffs, everything the players say is under the microscope. This is probably one lesson Stephenson won’t soon forget, as he continues to deal with the comments he made, which is a distraction and probably the last thing that should be on his mind as his team now faces elimination for the next three games.
James Park is the chief blogger of Sheridan Hoops. Follow him on twitter @SheridanBlog.