The Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat have been playing a tough and physical series and some players feel that things have become too physical, as David West and Roy Hibbert accused Shane Battier of going for their knees during the past few games.
According to ESPN.com, West and Hibbert said that they have been rpeparring for Game 5 by making sure they protect their knees when guarding and also to keep an eye out for the way Battier moves. Both players said that they were conscious of his style of play and that he goes after knees in games. The Pacers won Game 4 on Tuesday night to make the series tied at 2-2 and now Game 5 will be a pivotal matchup in South Florida.
Both sides have been physical and LeBron James fouled out of Game 4 after racking up just five fouls total in the postseason on the road before that. Hibbert already accused Battier of going into his groin and that he is one of the dirtier players left in the playoffs. The Heat star has not talked about the comments and he said that it is tough for a smaller player to defend big men like that. Battier has been called a flopper by the Pacers and coach Frank Vogel was fined last year for saying the same thing about the Heat. The two teams know each other well after playing last year when Miami was down 2-1 in the series and won the next three games and now the Heat are in that position as the Pacers won Game 4.
The Pacers have played much better at home than on the road and they have lost just one game in Indiana, which as to the Heat and happened to be Miami's first win there all season including the regular season. The players didn't say that Battier was intentionally trying to hurt them but that he definitely goes after those areas more than others.
"I know what (Battier) brings to the game and it's worked for him in the past. He has to do whatever he has to do to make sure his team wins," Hibbert said. "I'm going to watch my knees, watch my groin. ... To tell you the truth, I don't care. I'm in there, I'm playing tough. He has to do what he has to do.