On January 12, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued. Yahoo reporter Chris Haynes reported that multiple sources revealed that the Pacers will sign a second 10-day difficult special contract with guard Lance Stephenson. So far this season, Stephenson has played five times for the Pacers, averaging 24.4 minutes per game, 14.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.0 steals.
Previously, Stephenson was recalled to the NBA by the Hawks, and he made a 10-day short contract with the team, but he performed average with the Hawks, averaging 1.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. The Hawks then did not continue to reach a contract extension with Stephenson, and the old owner Pacers took the veteran and gave Stephenson a ten-day short contract.
Stevenson, who joined the Pacers for the third time, returned to the familiar court, as if he had regained his former peak form. Stephenson scored 20 points in the first quarter against the Nets, scoring 30 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists in the game. In the recent game against the Jazz, Stephenson had a large double-double of 16 points, 6 rebounds, 14 assists and 4 steals, and his 14 assists and 4 steals in this campaign set a new season high.
Teammate Sabonis was interviewed about Stephenson's performance: "He's a great player, I love how he does when he blocks, he reads the game very well. Compared to the last time I worked with him, I feel like he's even getting stronger, which is really incredible, he's improving every year. The two worked as teammates with the Pacers in the 2017-2018 season.
Stephenson is no stranger to many CBA fans, having played briefly for CBA teams, but for a short time, and eventually chose to return to the NBA. The Eastern Conference Finals between the Heat Big Three and the Pacers were one of the biggest playoff spots, and Stephenson was the main player leading James, and now Stephenson is back at Indiana, expecting him to perform better.