The Indiana Pacers have suffered two heartbreaking losses to start their playoff campaign. They have hung around with the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers in both instances only to lose on poor late-game execution or short stretches of play.
Pacers’ star Paul George was not quiet in voicing his displeasure after the first game as C.J. Miles missed a contested jumper that would have won the game, saying that he should take the shots in those situations. On Monday, after the second loss of the series, George was again frustrated by his teammates and aired his grievances, toward Lance Stephenson especially:
Paul George after #Pacers Game 2 loss to #Cavs: "(Lance Stephenson) has to learn to control himself… His body language has to improve." pic.twitter.com/8obMPow07D
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) April 18, 2017
Stephenson was visibly frustrated throughout much of the game as he scored 13 points on 13 shot attempts. More importantly, he was clearly exposed by the Cavs on defense when he was matched up against Kevin Love who scored 10 straight points in the third quarter to blow the game open.
Regardless, it’s George’s leadership that has to be called into question here. Stephenson is who he is, but George is the leader of the team, expected to carry them on and off the court.
In fairness, George has had two stellar games in attempting to pull off a monumental upset. It’s understandable that he is frustrated. But he is not doing his team any favors by throwing them under the bus.
