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Lance Stephenson got a flagrant for hitting LeBron in the groin, just like old times

Lance Stephenson reintroduces himself to LeBron James with authority. (Screencap via NBA)
Lance Stephenson reintroduces himself to LeBron James with authority. (Screencap via NBA)

It is a testament to how many holes there are in my brain that I wrote a whole bunch of words on Wednesday afternoon about the Indiana Pacers playing the Cleveland Cavaliers, and that it at no point occurred to me that the matchup meant a resumption of unpleasantries between longtime foils LeBron James and Lance Stephenson. As luck would have it, though, Lance made a point of reminding me all about it midway through the second quarter.

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With the Pacers holding a 49-40 lead, the Cavs rebounded an Indiana miss and looked to get out in transition. James took a pass at center court and made a beeline for the bucket. As he passed the 3-point line, Stephenson elected to leap up in the air — maybe to try to take away a lob pass; maybe for reasons that pass understanding — only to find that LeBron was continuing to dribble past him rather than pulling up.

Intent on making a play, Stephenson did what came naturally: slapped down his right hand to try to swipe the ball free, only to whack LeBron below the belt instead.

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After a video review, the referees decided to hit Stephenson with a flagrant foul-1 for the low blow. I’d say that was the most painful hit LeBron took on Wednesday night … but then, after the “clear the air” meeting heard round the world, the Pacers whipped up on the Cavs, drilling 16 of 26 3-point tries to run away with a 124-107 win, that dropped the three-time-defending Eastern Conference champions to 3-5 on the season. Somehow, I suspect that’ll hurt LeBron — who finished with 33 points on 14-for-22 shooting, 11 assists, six rebounds, two steals, one block and eight turnovers in 38 minutes — more than the shot south of the border.

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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!