HoopsHype.com Rumors

A third flagrant foul was called late in the game when Heat reserve Dexter Pittman threw a violent elbow at Lance Stephenson, the player who gave the choke sign to James in Game 3. Stephenson left for X-rays on his collarbone. Palm Beach Post

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Lance Stephenson, Dexter Pittman, Referees 

The Rock would be impressed but I'm sure the NBA is not. Pretty sure Dexter Pittman has a suspension coming after this foul. Miami Herald

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Lance Stephenson, Dexter Pittman, Referees 

Lance Stephenson: Pittman got me good. My shoulder feel like its broke but I'm ok everyone let's go Pacers game 6 Twitter

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Lance Stephenson, Dexter Pittman, Referees 

Lance Stephenson said he had no problem with Dexter Pittman’s hard foul: “We're just playing hard ball. That’s what happens when you’re playing hard and it’s the playoffs. So it’s a good foul.’’ Sulia

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Lance Stephenson, Dexter Pittman, Referees 

Brian Windhorst: Dexter Pittman did not speak to the media after the game. Twitter

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Lance Stephenson, Dexter Pittman, Referees 

Ken Berger: One Pacer on Pittman hit on Stephenson: Metta World Peace would be "suspended for life" if he did that. Twitter

Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Lance Stephenson, Dexter Pittman, Referees, Metta World Peace 

Ken Berger: "It was bad," the anomymous Pacer said of the Pittman play. "And they were celebrating afterward. The tape don't lie." Twitter

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Lance Stephenson, Dexter Pittman, Referees 

Carl Landry: #DexterPittman just earned a spot on the #NBA all thug team. Hahahaha!!! Twitter

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Lance Stephenson, Dexter Pittman, Referees, Carl Landry 

"I don't know if that was retaliation for what Lance had done (with the choke sign)," said Granger, who plans to "take a bunch of medication" and play Thursday. "But I was in (the locker room watching) on the replay and he looked over and saw him coming, and he's a big guy and he laid him out." FOXSports Florida

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Danny Granger, Lance Stephenson 

Austin Daye: #Damn .....Pittman just clocked Lance Stephenson Twitter

Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Lance Stephenson, Austin Daye 

Alex Kennedy: Doctors are evaluating Lance Stephenson. He's getting x-rays and a concussion test. He may have a broken collarbone, says Danny Granger. Twitter

Indiana Pacers, Lance Stephenson, Injuries 

Nearly 90 minutes before tipoff of Game 4 of an acrimonious Eastern Conference playoff series, Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson again appeared to be a source of irritation to the Miami Heat. Miami Heat forward Juwan Howard and Stephenson exchanged sharp words within inches of each other’s faces on the court. Stephenson, who flashed a choke sign at Heat star LeBron James in the Pacers' Game 3 victory, had been shooting with the Pacers on one end of the floor when Howard walked past on the way to Miami's locker room. Yahoo! Sports

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, LeBron James, Lance Stephenson, Juwan Howard 

As the Heat were making their way to the Pacers practice court on Saturday, Howard turned down the hallway that leads to the Pacers locker room, asking – and cussing – where he could find Stephenson. Indianapolis Star

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Paul George, Lance Stephenson, Juwan Howard, Dahntay Jones 

Dahntay Jones, who was outside the locker room with teammate Paul George, a Pacers employee, his son and his mother, went and talked to Howard before the 39-year-old Howard turned around and went toward the practice court with the rest of his teammates. “Tell him I’m going to (expletive) him up,” Howard said to Dahntay Jones, Paul George and another Pacers employee. Indianapolis Star

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Paul George, Lance Stephenson, Juwan Howard, Dahntay Jones 

It was unclear which player had said something to start the jawing, but Howard was soon warning Stephenson to keep his mouth shut, as Pacers assistant coach Brian Shaw stepped between the players and nudged Howard away from the court. There didn’t appear to be any possibility that the altercation would evolve into violence, but Howard clearly had no use for Stephenson, nor his attitude. Yahoo! Sports

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Paul George, Lance Stephenson, Juwan Howard, Dahntay Jones 

Shaun Powell: Frank Vogel, on Lance Stephenson choke sign: "I want enthusiasm on the bench. I don't want gestures that go over the top." Twitter

Indiana Pacers, Lance Stephenson, Frank Vogel 

Even with the video of Stephenson crossing his hands over his neck having gone viral, James insisted at Saturday's practice he had not seen or even heard about the display on the Pacers bench. "What happened?" he said in response to the question about the action, which came in the wake of his missed free throw following a technical foul on Pacers forward Danny Granger. "Nah, I didn't see that." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, LeBron James, Lance Stephenson 

That made him about the only one, with ESPN offering several replays of the display during the game and then during additional programming. "Nah, 'cause I don't watch TV," James said of the break he tried to give himself following the Game 3 loss that dropped the Heat to a 2-1 deficit in this best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series that continues Sunday at 3:30 p.m. on the Pacers' home court. "I haven't been looking on social networks, so I didn't know." He declined to be drawn into the conversation. "I'm not . . . I've been there before," he said with a pause. "I'm not going to stoop down to Lance Stephenson. Lance Stephenson? You guys want me to quote about Lance Stephenson? "I'm not even going to give him the time. Knock it off." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, LeBron James, Lance Stephenson 

Stephenson knew he had gone to a bad place. "I was wrong and disrespectful to my teammates, the Miami Heat and their organization," he told NBA.com after the Pacers' Saturday practice. "I'm sorry that I did that. It was very disrespectful." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Lance Stephenson 

Steve Aschburner: Pacers reserve Lance Stephenson told http://NBA.com Sat. he's sorry for his choke gesture in G3, when LeBron James missed a FT. ... Twitter

Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, LeBron James, Lance Stephenson