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Roy Hibbert: U can knee or kick me every time u drive 2the rim. Ill be there 2protect the rim. That wasn't inadvertent. Battier knew what he was doing Twitter

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Roy Hibbert, Shane Battier 

Pacers forward Paul George on not having Hibbert in the game: “It was different. I’m used to being aggressive. That’s the reason why I was aggressive. I’m used to having Roy back there. But, again, me being in that situation, I’ve got to know who’s on the floor with me and know what we want from LeBron.” Miami Herald

Indiana Pacers, Paul George, Roy Hibbert 

Vogel's reaction, however, best explains why the Pacers have progressed to the Eastern Conference finals, and represents their best hope for upsetting the Heat. He was as sunny as every other day of this season, conferring for a moment with the team's media relations staff on whether to meet the media right away, or wait until his players had finished. He decided to get on with it. “How's everybody doing?” he asked cheerfully as reporters rushed to him on the sideline at midcourt, jostling for position. NBA.com

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Frank Vogel 

Vogel talked for more than 15 minutes, taking on all comers, ducking no questions, showing no irritation with the unrelenting theme of the interrogation. “All I can say is, it was a sound plan,” Vogel said. “When you have five three-point shooters on the court (as Miami did), you need a switching lineup out there with five guys who are great ball containers.” NBA.com

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Frank Vogel 

Where, oh where, could Hinkie have been? I have a hunch. Perhaps Hinkie was paying a visit to Indianapolis, a short trip from Chicago, where he spent the weekend watching the draft Combine. Pacers associate head coach Brian Shaw was helping his team prepare for the Eastern Conference Finals - but Shaw is a wanted man in the industry right now. Finding time to have a conversation with him is crucial, given that there are five known NBA head-coaching vacancies. CSNPhilly.com

Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, Draft, Coaching, Brian Shaw 

Pacers guard Lance Stephenson said he is a more mature player than the one who gave the choke sign to LeBron James during Game 3 of last year’s playoff series. Stephenson apologized after that incident, and James said at the time: “Lance Stephenson? You want a quote about Lance Stephenson? I’m not even going to give him the time.” On Wednesday, Stephenson reflected on the incident: “I was trying to be involved in that game, yelling at guys at the free-throw line. I was just trying to get in his head. It was a mistake to be doing that.” Miami Herald

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, LeBron James, Lance Stephenson 

The coach gone to the interview podium, his teammates showered and dressed, Hibbert made a vow to Yahoo! Sports. Never again does he sit silently with something so important slipping away. Never again. Yahoo! Sports

Indiana Pacers, Roy Hibbert 

"I've grown as a player, this is my fifth year and maybe I need to start talking up more," Hibbert told Yahoo! Sports in the losing locker room. "They pay me [max-contract money] for a reason. "I didn't say anything, and I wish I did. From now on, I need to speak up." Yahoo! Sports

Indiana Pacers, Roy Hibbert 

When it was over, Hibbert desperately wished he had the chance, but make no mistake: He wasn't playing that "I- knew-I-would've-had-it" nonsense. If James had cradled the ball near his body, Hibbert knows he probably could've drawn the foul. Had he extended his reach to lay it on the glass, yes, Hibbert knows he could've blocked James' shot. "But I'm not going to put it all on coach," Hibbert said. "I gave up some possessions, some offensive rebounds. We wouldn't have been in that position if I had handled my business." Yahoo! Sports

Indiana Pacers, Roy Hibbert 

Asked what he thought about leaving Hibbert out of the game, Vogel responded: “I would say we’ll probably have him in next time.” NBA.com

Indiana Pacers, Roy Hibbert 

Ben Golliver: George on Hibbert: "Yeah, I think we all [wanted him in]. He does an amazing job protecting the rim. I'm 100% sure he would have been there" Twitter @blazersedge

Indiana Pacers, Roy Hibbert 

Jeff Zillgitt: Paul George: "I have to understand you have to make LeBron shoot a jumper at that point." Twitter @JeffZillgitt

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, LeBron James, Paul George, Roy Hibbert 

Jermaine O'Neal: Got to have big fella in there with 2.2 seconds left. "Shot blocking"! got to love the NBA playoffs because its filled with excitement! Twitter @jermaineoneal

Indiana Pacers, Roy Hibbert, Jermaine O'Neal 

Roy Hibbert: I love this team. N I love this coach. Period. #GoPacers #turntup Twitter @Hoya2aPacer

Indiana Pacers, Roy Hibbert 

Mike Wells: Hibbert on winning basket: "LeBron’s layup was one I think I could have gotten cause he served it up." Twitter @MikeWellsNBA

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, LeBron James, Roy Hibbert 

Norris Cole could have been a little more subtle about this low blow to David West. It was the culmination of an extremely physical Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers. For The Win

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, David West, Norris Cole 

Jackson added that he has never had contact with the Clippers, who announced Tuesday they won’t be signing coach Vinny Del Negro to a new contract, about an opening, and also said that he was never contacted by the Knicks. “No,” Jackson said, adding he wasn’t disappointed about it. “They’re pretty locked into the people they’ve got there, and they have a nice rapport between [general manager Glen Grunwald] and [coach Mike] Woodson. “That Indiana connection goes back a long way. They think alike, they have a good idea of what they want to have. That’s pretty solid.” New York Post

Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, Phil Jackson, Coaching 

Haslem sure found that out in last year’s Eastern Conference semifinal against Indiana. Shortly after Pacers forward Tyler Hansbrough had a flagrant foul 1 against Heat guard Dwyane Wade, Haslem plowed into Hansbrough. Haslem was assessed a flagrant foul 1. He later was suspended for Game 6, which the Heat were able to win to close out the series 4-2. “It probably would have been just a regular foul,’’ Haslem said about how his hit on Hansbrough might have been handled during the NBA’s rough-and-tumble era. “I’ve seen a lot worse …. It was just a hard play on the basketball. I still stand by the fact that I didn’t feel like I should have been suspended, and I didn’t feel like I had tried to hurt anybody. It was a hard foul.’’ FOXSports Florida

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade, Tyler Hansbrough, Udonis Haslem 

LeBron James saw that block Roy Hibbert applied on Carmelo Anthony's dunk attempt. He was impressed, mostly because it represented such a huge momentum shift. But this is James we're talking about, the high-flying defier of human capabilities. He seemed offended that a reporter would even ask whether he'd hesitate to drive against Hibbert. "Me?" James said incredulously. "Me?" Reassured the question was about him, James dismissed the notion. "Nah." New York Daily News

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, LeBron James, Roy Hibbert 

Former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Byron Scott, Golden State Warriors assistant coach Mike Malone and San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Mike Budenholzer are the top candidates, one executive said. Former Phoenix Suns coach Alvin Gentry and Indiana Pacers assistant coach Brian Shaw are being considered as well, another executive said. Los Angeles Times

Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, Byron Scott, Coaching, Brian Shaw, Alvin Gentry, Mike Budenholzer, Mike Malone