Pacers forward Tyler Hansbrough goes to the basket against the Heat’s Udonis Haslem. (Issac Baldizon/NBA/Getty Images)

The NBA suspended Miami Heat forwards Udonis Haslem for one game and Dexter Pittman for three games stemming from flagrant fouls charged to both players during Tuesday’s Game 5 Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup with the Indiana Pacers.

Both players will sit out Game 6 in Indianapolis on Thursday and were initially accessed a flagrant-1 fouls. Haslem fouled Pacers forward Tyler Hansbrough in the second quarter and Pittman fouled Lance Stephenson late in Game 5 after the contest was well in hand. Miami won the game 115-83 and lead the series three games to two.

“I felt like I got hit in the face,” Pacers forward Tyler Hansbrough said of the foul after the game. “Should it have been the stiffer flagrant-2? “That’s for you guys to decide.”

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