Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert and shooting guard Lance Stephenson were hit with fines by the NBA on Thursday for flops in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat.
Both flips occurred during the fourth quarter of Wednesday night's game where the Pacers managed to stave off elimination 93-90. Stephenson was hit with a $10,000 fine since it was his second one for flopping, while Hibbert's was $5,000, USA Today reports.
Stephenson was fined because he exaggerated contact trying to draw a foul on LeBron James, which was not successful during the game. Hibbert's flop came as he fell out of bounds after minimal contact from Mario Chalmers while battling for a rebound.
Much of the post-game attention has been in Stephenson's direction after he was seen blowing into James' ear during a stoppage in play, according to the Indianapolis Star. Teammate Paul George described it as "Lance being Lance," before adding, "I hope his breath wasn't too bad for LeBron."
Ray Allen described the action differently, and in one word: "Buffoonery," while Stephenson said he was "Just playing ball."