LOS ANGELES – Lance Stephenson lived up to his nickname Friday night.
He knew before the game he’d be the backup four with Paul Pierce getting a night off to rest against the Lakers, and rather than pout about not playing in eight of his previous 13 games, Stephenson let out any built-up fury on the rim with one of the highlight dunks of the year.
This is a new situation for Stephenson.
His 15.5 minutes per game are 10 fewer than he averaged last year and considerably fewer than the 35.3 minutes he averaged his final season in Indiana.
Yet as he darted toward the basket in the fourth quarter Friday, soaring up in the paint and floating toward the rim like a contained hurricane, then throwing the one-handed slam down on Julius Randle, none of the past seemed to matter.
Despite the lack of playing time, “Born Ready” was ready.
“It was unbelievable,” said Jamal Crawford. “I need to go watch that one on tape. It was nice. Plays like that, I love basketball so much, because you become a fan.”
Crawford’s also become a fan of Stephenson.
“He’s been great,” Crawford said. “He’s been a pro. You don’t know a guy until you get on a team with him. Before, all we really knew was the blowing on LeBron (James)’ ear and the antics, but the antics get him going and get his team going. We embrace that. We want him to do that, because that’s the best Lance Stephenson.”
Friday was a glimpse of peak Stephenson.
He brought immediate energy, but it wasn’t out of control. He knocked down two 3-pointers, both on good looks. He only took high percentage shots, going 6-for-7 from the floor, none more high percentage than the thunderous dunk.
Stephenson said he thought he took off too far, but he got a boost from Randle.
“I felt like I was close enough to dunk it, so I kept going,” Stephenson said. “That was nice. I’ve seen replays. I felt like, ‘Dang, I got up high.'”
He was the spark the Clippers needed, all while sticking to the role he was asked. He was a star in his role, a phrase head coach Doc Rivers used to compliment the job Cole Aldrich and Pablo Prigioni have done since getting inserted into the backup rotation, and Stephenson didn’t need to lose his normal entertainment value along the way.
Those theatrics reached their peak with the massive dunk, which also sent his teammates into a frenzy.
Following the slam, Crawford immediately threw both hands in the air like a fighter winning a bout. The best celebration came from DeAndre Jordan, the Clippers closest to Stephenson on the dunk, who did some sort of a half-jump kick with his hands on his head in disbelief at what he just saw.
“I like seeing my teammates be successful,” Jordan said. “That was a really big play from Lance.”
It brought the energy to a different level, though that’s never been a problem for Stephenson. Crawford said he loves the excitement Stephenson brings on everything from his dunks to the slamming of the ball on his rebound attempts. It’s just how Stephenson plays and who Stephenson is.
But it’s the other parts of his game – coming in early, talking to the coaches, understanding the offense, learning his teammates, being active defensively – that’ll keep him on the floor, and he’s taking them seriously.
If “Born Ready” can be as “Born Consistent” as he was Friday, 20-minute performances could continue to follow.
“Lance was great,” Rivers said. “The thing I love about Lance, he hasn’t been playing, but I still say he’s going to help us. I just like his spirit.”
