The most flagrant of the flagrant fouls delivered in Game 5 of the Heat-Pacers series came just before the final buzzer, when Miami center Dexter Pittman threw a flying forearm at Indiana guard Lance Stephenson with 19.4 seconds remaining.

As with an earlier foul by Heat teammate Udonis Haslem, the officials only whistled Pittman for a Flagrant 1, but the outrage on Twitter from media members seemed even greater.

My god, what does it take to get kicked out of a playoff game? Dexter Pittman should get three games for that shot to Stephenson's throat.—
Pat Forde (@YahooForde) May 23, 2012

Pittman just guaranteed Haslem's suspension for game 6…. What Pittman just did worse than Metta.—
Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) May 23, 2012

Trying to think of dirtier play than the Pittman clothesline – and am drawing a blank….—
Jon Wertheim (@jon_wertheim) May 23, 2012

To compound matters, Pittman apparently winked after the infraction. If both Pittman and Haslem are suspended for Game 6, the Heat — already without Chris Bosh — will be seriously short on big men.

Meantime, Alex Kennedy of HOOPSWORLD offered this update on Stephenson:

Doctors are evaluating Lance Stephenson. He's getting x-rays and a concussion test. He may have a broken collarbone, says Danny Granger.—
Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) May 23, 2012

Veteran forward Juwan Howard of the Miami Heat confronted Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson prior to Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, according to ESPN.com.

The report states that the players had to be separated.

Stephenson apologized after making a choking gesture towards the end of the Pacers’ Game 3 win.

Howard, for his part, reportedly went looking for Stephenson near the Pacers’ locker room, but the two never spoke.

Indiana Pacers backup guard Lance Stephenson has apologized to his coach for making a choking gesture at Miami Heat forward LeBron James during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, according to the Associated Press.

Stephenson made the gesture after James missed a technical free throw.

His coach, Frank Vogel, expressed remorse for his player: “[He] knows it was wrong and I agreed with him 100 percent that it was wrong.