Dexter Pittman News

The NBA is reviewing Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade's elbow to Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson's head, a person familiar with the review told USA TODAY Sports under the condition of anonymity.

Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert is not backing down from the Miami Heat, and he's not backing down from his Twitter comment, accusing Shane Battier of a deliberate knee to Hibbert's midsection.

A year ago when Miami and Indiana faced off in the postseason, there were blood-drawing hits, flagrant fouls, technical fouls, choke signs being directed toward LeBron James and more than a few sharp-tongued comments.

LeBron James and the Miami Heat advanced past the Bulls last round, and open up the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday night against the Pacers.

More specifically, I can't wait until 8:30PM on Wednesday night because that's when the Eastern Conference Series between the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat will have officially started.

A year ago when Miami and Indiana faced off in the postseason, there were blood-drawing hits, flagrant fouls, technical fouls, choke signs being directed toward LeBron James and more than a few sharp-tongued comments.

After defeating the Indiana Pacers in a bitterly contested six-game series in last season's Eastern Conference semifinals, the Miami Heat now will face the Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals, a series that opens Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. at AmericanAirlines Arena , for the right to advance to the NBA Finals .

With the New York Knicks defeating the Indiana Pacers 85-75 Thursday night, forcing that Eastern Conference semifinal series to a Saturday Game 6, the schedule for the Eastern Conference finals has come into focus.

Q: Ira, when Jason Collins announced that he was gay, it got me thinking about the major impact he could have on a team like, say, the Heat .