Former Penn State hoops star Lamar Stevens led the Cleveland Cavaliers by 17 points during their 96-82 loss to the Golden State Warriors Sunday night.

A career-high 1️⃣7️⃣ points tonight from @LamarStevens11! ? pic.twitter.com/1ZRRasME95

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) January 10, 2022

In addition to his career-high 17 points, Stevens recorded four rebounds, two steals, and an assist, almost single-handedly keeping his team in contention until the fourth quarter. Stevens exited the first half shooting a perfect 6-for-6 and eventually finished the game with a 73% shooting percentage.

Stevens was not solely asked to contribute on the offensive side of the court. At times, he was entrusted with the task of defending all-star guard Klay Thompson, who played for the first time in more than two and a half years.

We see you out there, Mar ?

? #CavsWarriors on @BallySportsCLE pic.twitter.com/4buRTix9Kn

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) January 10, 2022

Stevens logged 34 minutes, the second-most for the Cavaliers, in his third consecutive start. Following teammate Isaac Okoro’s elbow injury earlier in January, Stevens has stepped into a more consistent starting role.

Last week, the Cavaliers fully guaranteed Stevens’ contract, ensuring the stability of his position with the team. This comes almost a year after Stevens signed a multi-year deal with the Cavaliers, who originally signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2020.

Stevens’ Penn State career came to an unjust finish. As one of the most prolific scorers in program history, Stevens ended his college career with 2207 points, just six points behind the all-time school record. In his senior season, Stevens led the Nittany Lions to what would have been their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2011 if the tournament hadn’t been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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