INDIANAPOLIS â€" What has been a noticeably rough series between the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers is setting up for a Game 6 on Thursday that will have everyone on edge.
Steve Mitchell, US Presswire
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra expressed concern for the safety of LeBron James, left, and Dwyane Wade, right, in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series Thursday, accusing the Indiana Pacers of going head-hunting.
Steve Mitchell, US Presswire
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra expressed concern for the safety of LeBron James, left, and Dwyane Wade, right, in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series Thursday, accusing the Indiana Pacers of going head-hunting.
At the morning shootarounds, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra accused the Pacers of more than a dozen hits to the face of Miami's players â€" "Some of the tomahawk variety" â€" in the nine games between them this season.
Pacers coach Frank Vogel countered: "In no way, shape or form have I ever suggested that we hit anyone in the head, ever. And I would argue that we (ever) hit them in the head 12 times."
Vogel declined to say if he took Spoelstra's comments personally. "I'm not getting into that. I'm not getting into all that."
Spoelstra said the Heat have charted the hits to the head from the Pacers during the regular season and the Eastern Conference semifinals, which the Heat lead 3-2 entering tonight in Indianapolis.
"The league doesn't have a problem with hard fouls to our two main guys (LeBron James and Dwyane Wade). … Some have drawn blood. They don't have a problem with it, so we don't have a problem with it," Spoelstra said.
"Our guys will continue to attack. They'll play their game, and we'll focus on what we can control."
The NBA had no comment when asked whether the teams were warned to curb the rough play. Vogel, asked if he had heard from the NBA, said he had not.
Tonight's referees â€" divulged publicly this morning as Scott Foster (lead official), Marc Davis and Ken Mauer, a veteran crew â€" were chosen once the series was known to go at least six games. It is common practice for referees to review previous plays and fouls that have impacted games, so it is fair to say they will be on alert.
It has been a physical series from Game 1 â€" exacerbated by trash talking from Pacers forward Danny Granger, answered by James and Wade â€" and it erupted into a series of hard and over-the-line fouls in Miami's 115-83 victory Tuesday in Game 5.
Heat forward Udonis Haslem and center Dexter Pittman will miss Game 6 after the NBA upgraded their Flagrant Foul One to Flagrant Foul Two and issued suspensions â€" Haslem for one game for hammering Pacers forward Tyler Hansbrough on the shoulders and face and Pittman three games for his vicious forearm to the chin of Pacers guard Lance Stephenson.
Hansbrough's Flagrant Foul One on Wade was also upgraded to a Flagrant Foul Two, but Hansbrough was not suspended because it was determined he made a play on the basketball and Haslem did not.
A Flagrant Foul Two during a game results in an automatic ejection.
"If there was a Flagrant 2 to start with (on Hansbrough) then UD would have never fouled him, which means UD never would have got suspended," James said. "I mean, Hansbrough, it's not the first time that he went after one of our players this year.
"We have two guys suspended and basically they have no one suspended."
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