Monday 21 May 2012

Heat's Haslem and Pittman suspended for flagrant fouls [Video]





Dexter Pittman provided perhaps the ugliest moment in what had already been a pretty testy playoff series between the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night.

With just 19.4 seconds remaining in the Heat's blowout win, the Miami reserve center went across the lane and delivered a forearm blow to the chin area of Indiana's Lance Stephenson.

Pittman, who received a flagrant-1 foul, was caught apparently winking into the television camera (about 55 seconds into the video) as he was waiting for Stephenson to make his free throw -- possibly a sign that the move was in retaliation for Stephenson making a choke gesture toward Heat star LeBron James during Game 3.

If so, James apparently did not appreciate the sentiment.

"There's no room for dirty plays in our game, period -- no matter if it comes from us or Indiana or anyone in the league at this point," James said. "We're all one group and at the end of the day you don't want to see anyone get injured."

Stephenson, whose collarbone was checked by X-rays, tweeted two hours after the game that he was fine.

Earlier in the game, Miami's Dwyane Wade was bleeding with a cut over his right eye after a hit by Indiana's Tyler Hansbrough. Moments later, the Heat's Udonis Haslem -- who needed nine stitches on a cut over his own right eye in Game 4 -- retaliated against Hansbrough and received a flagrant-1 foul.

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