Throughout his NBA career, Lance Stephenson has developed a reputation for getting under his opponents’s skin. On Wednesday, he appeared to succeed in claiming another victim.
Stephenson and Denver guard Austin Rivers got into an altercation midway through the fourth quarter, when Stephenson tipped the ball away from Rivers in front of the Pacers bench to force a turnover. Rivers appeared to take exception with getting hit in the face and getting bumped by Stephenson after the play, leading to some shoving between the two.
Rivers and Stephenson were both issued technical fouls on the play. Less than a minute later, Rivers picked up his second technical and was ejected for throwing an elbow at Stephenson’s face—though replays show that he didn’t make any contact.
After the game, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said that referee Tony Brothers told him the play was a “malicious act” by Rivers, even though no contact was made. Malone said the team plans to address the issue with the league office, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post.
Rivers also addressed the incident postgame.
Denver led by as many as 31 points but had to survive a late rally by Indiana, eventually winning, 125-118. Nikola Jokic finished the game with 37 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists on 15-for-19 shooting. The win gives the Nuggets sole possession of the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference.
