The Miami Heat will be without big man Chris 'Birdman' Andersen on Saturday in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers, the NBA has announced. Andersen is being suspended by the league for one-game after knocking over Indiana Pacers forward Tyler Hansbrough in the first half of Game 5 on Thursday night.
Here's a GIF of the play that got Andersen suspended:
The altercation was ruled as a double-technical with Andersen also drawing a flagrant-one foul, but the NBA announced it will rescind Hansbrough's technical. Both players remained in the game. The suspension follows commissioner David Stern's comments to NBC radio in which he stated he believed Andersen should have been ejected from the game.
It's a big blow for the Heat, who need all the help they can get inside against the Pacers. Andersen was signed by Miami in late January and has proven himself to be a valuable asset in the postseason. Andersen is 15-for-15 from the field against the Pacers and is averaging 7.1 points per game on 86 percent shooting in the playoffs, to go along with four rebounds and 1.4 blocks per contest.
Miami holds a 3-2 series lead and will have the opportunity to eliminate the Pacers in Game 6 on Saturday.
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