Heat vs. Pacers: Indiana Should Give Miami the Physical Series It Wants

Heading into Tuesday's game five, the story was as follows: rebounding will make the difference, third-quarter scoring determines the game, and the Pacers' Danny Granger should spend less time being "dirty" and more time contributing.

I couldn't agree more with the first two, as was evident during Games 1 through 4. It's the latter point I have a problem with, especially after seeing blatant malicious acts committed by the Heat in their Tuesday blowout of the Pacers.

Granger was labeled as "dirty" following a couple of plays earlier in the series in which he got involved with LeBron James, who clearly threw elbows but missed. A quick reference to the NBA rules shows those should be technicals, but what's done is done.

And I understand it has to be frustrating for any player to compete with the Oscar-worthy performances given on almost every play by the Heat players. The other came on a foul as Dwyane Wade drove the lane and then got in Granger's face. It didn't happen the other way around.

So we came into Tuesday's game knowing the remaining games were going to be physical ones, something the NBA has worked hard to shy away from in recent years. What we didn't expect was to see back-to-back flagrant fouls that couldn't have been more different.

Tyler Hansbrough fouled Wade as he drove the lane and clearly made contact with the ball first, with Wade's head being collateral damage. Slow-motion replay freaks will argue he swiped the eye, but in game speed Psycho T would have to be pretty darn good to be able to get a guy's eye in midair.

At the other end, Udonis Haslem, apparently still mad from an inadvertent elbow he took in Game 4, took a shot at Hansbrough on a jumper and got the same call Hansbrough did: a flagrant one. Problem is, Haslem clearly went all out for Hansbrough's head and got a good piece of it. But without the acting skills, it's harder to make the right calls, apparently.

As the Miami lead neared 30 in the fourth quarter and the starters were pulled, former Pacer James Jones decided he needed to jack up three-pointers to make it into the box score, a place he hasn't seen in quite some time. When is it time to send in the goon?

The last straw was a hit by Heat reserve Dexter Pittman on Lance Stephenson as a shot came off the rim. Stephenson ran into the lane for the rebound and was met by a sprawling elbow from Pittman. Another flagrant one. 

If the Heat don't want a dirty series, they shouldn't play like it.

James called Granger's play "stupid," which tells me he would rather the Heat be the bigger team and let their play do the talking. Their play spoke plenty, but not without two dirty plays and some disrespectful shots near the end.

I have no problem with rubbing someone's face in it if you feel disrespected first, but don't say all the right things to the media in attempts to look like you're above the "dirty" play.

The Heat will come to a raucous Bankers Life Fieldhouse Thursday night for Game 6, and if the NBA has any sense it will be without Haslem and Pittman.

Those were blatant, malicious hits on players and if Mr. Stern doesn't want a riot on his hands for the rest of this series, he needs to make the right call. Metta World Peace was suspended seven games for what was an accidental blow to James Harden's head during a triumphant celebration.

Haslem clearly wanted revenge for his hit and Pittman could be seen winking after the blow to the head of Stephenson, who is currently being checked for concussion-like symptoms.

Here comes the part nobody wants to read.

If the Heat get a sizable lead on Thursday and are going to close out the series, the Pacers must send in the goon.

These two teams will be contenders in the East for years to come, and if the Pacers can't win this series, they need to send the message that they will not let the big boys push them around. Make the Heat remember, because just as the mind games worked leading into the series, they can work for the next few years.