Matchup
The Indiana Pacers have stumbled over the last couple of weeks, dropping five of their last six contests to throw their playoff hopes into jeopardy entering the final month of the regular season.
But the Pacers (37-39) will get a new jolt of energy from a familiar face on Sunday night in Cleveland. Lance Stephenson, who signed with the Pacers on Thursday, is expected to join the team for practice on Saturday and be in uniform for Sunday's game against his old nemesis LeBron James and the Cavaliers (48-27).
Stephenson, of course, spent four seasons with the Pacers, who drafted him with the 40th overall pick in 2010. He ascended from a seldom-used role player in his first two seasons in Indiana to a key cog in the starting unit on a pair of teams that reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 2013 and 2014.
Stephenson elected to sign with Charlotte rather than return to Indiana in the summer of 2014, but did not enjoy the same success in a new city and a different system. He has bounced around the league, playing for five different organizations over the past three seasons before agreeing to a reunion with the Pacers last week, a move made possible when Rodney Stuckey was waived after straining his left patellar tendon.
PLAYOFF PICTURE: Track the Pacers' Playoff Push »
It remains to be seen how big an impact Stephenson can have for the Pacers on the court over the final six games of the regular season, but they will gladly welcome his infectious energy. The Blue & Gold have struggled to maintain their focus for a full 48 minutes in recent games.
The Pacers have fallen into big holes in several of their recent losses. They actually led at halftime on Friday night in Toronto, only to watch DeMar DeRozan and the Raptors dominate the third quarter and hold on for a 111-100 win.
Winning in Cleveland is never easy, but the defending champs have stumbled themselves over the past few weeks. The Cavaliers had dropped three straight and five of their last seven before handling Philadelphia at home on Friday night.
Because of those struggles, Cleveland has surrendered control of the top seed in the East to Boston. The Cavaliers are a veteran bunch that likely does not care what seed they have come playoff time, but they will be wanting to get back on track over the next two weeks to build a little momentum heading into the playoffs.
Projected Starters
Jeff Teague
Monta Ellis
Paul George
Thaddeus Young
Myles Turner
Kyrie Irving
J.R. Smith
LeBron James
Kevin Love
Tristan Thompson
Pacers: PG - Jeff Teague, SG - Paul George, SF - C.J. Miles, PF - Thaddeus Young, C - Myles Turner
Cavaliers: PG - Kyrie Irving, SG - J.R. Smith, SF - LeBron James, PF - Kevin Love, C - Tristan Thompson
Injury Report
Pacers: Al Jefferson - out (sprained left ankle), Glenn Robinson III - out (sore left calf)
Cavaliers: Kyle Korver - out (left foot soreness), Iman Shumpert - questionable (right knee soreness)
Last Meeting
February 15, 2017: The Cavaliers used a 23-6 run in the fourth quarter to pull away from the Pacers in a 113-104 win in Cleveland.
Glenn Robinson III scored a team-high 19 points for the Pacers on 7-of-10 shooting. Jeff Teague recorded a double-double with 15 points and 11 assists.
LeBron James led all scorers with 31 points on 12-of-17 shooting. Kyrie Irving added 26 points and seven assists. Kyle Korver scored 22 points, going 6-for-8 from 3-point range.
Noteworthy
- Indiana has dropped six straight regular season games in Cleveland, including all five meetings since LeBron James returned to the Cavaliers for the 2014-15 season.
- Pacers forward C.J. Miles needs to make five more 3-pointers to reach 1,000 in his career.
- Stephenson has only played with three players on the current Pacers roster. He and Paul George were drafted together in 2010 and spent four seasons together. Stephenson and Lavoy Allen were teammates for the second half of the 2013-14 season after Allen was acquired via trade. Finally, Stephenson and Al Jefferson played together in Charlotte during the 2014-15 season.
Tickets
After a three-game road trip, the Pacers will return to Bankers Life Fieldhouse to host the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, April 4 at 7:00 PM ET. That night will also be the 2010s Decade Game and all fans in attendance will receive a bobblehead of All-Star forward Paul George. Find Tickets »
Broadcast Information TV & Radio Listings »
TV: FOX Sports Indiana - Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 107.5 FM/AM 1070 The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Austin Croshere (analyst), Pat Boylan (studio host)
Please Note: For the remainder of the season, all Pacers radio broadcasts can be heard on FM 107.5 as well as AM 1070 The Fan.
Away Game Night Special
"We are Indiana" T-Shirt - $12. Game Night Specials can be purchased online the day of each away game from 10:00 AM - Midnight. Order Online »