The NBA continues to stand firm on their no flopping policy and have now handed down a flurry of discipline for flopping and flagrant fouls following Game 4 between the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat of the Eastern Conference finals, where a lot of controversy was brewed.
Discipline was handed down to Miami's LeBron James and Indiana's David West who were both fined $5,000 for flopping on the same play in the fourth quarter of the Pacers' 99-92 win on Tuesday. West was battling for position on the play, and both flinched when there was contact in the lane.
The league also handed down a $5,000 fine for flopping to the Pacers' Lance Stephenson for his exaggeration of contact between him and Ray Allen in the first quarter of Game 4.
In addition West's foul in the fourth quarter on Dwyane Wade has been upgraded to a flagrant foul. That marked the third time in the series the NBA has had to upgrade a foul to a flagrant after a game.
Though controversy about the officiating in Game 4 raises many questions for why the game went the way it did, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra simply blames his team's loss as a result of poor 'karma', according to the Sun Sentinel.
"Playoffs are about overcoming everything,'' said Spoelstra, who added that Bosh and James would receive treatment but no other medical update was available.
"We didn't necessarily play well. We didn't get to our identity. We had massive foul trouble all across the board and we have a 3-point lead down the stretch in an opponent's building and plays to be made to finish off that game.
"We didn't. They made more plays down the stretch and typically the team that deserves to win does.''
Spoelstra went on to say that this seasons series against the Pacers doesn't compare last year's championship run.
"Experience can be a very good teacher but it doesn't guarantee anything,'' Spoelstra said. "We're in the trench right now.
"They played with a greater sense of urgency. They made more plays going down the stretch and for that matter during the course of he game, not only offensive rebounds, but loose balls, effort plays, impact plays, imposing plays.
"Sometimes there's a karma to the game, so they beat us down the stretch. There's no excuses, nothing else to it other than that.''
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