Chris Andersen is suspended for Game 6

The NBA suspended Miami Heat center Chris Andersen for Saturday’s Game 6 against the Indiana Pacers after an altercation with Pacers forward Tyler Hansbrough in Game 5 on Thursday night. Without apparently being provoked, Andersen body-checked Hansbrough to the floor after Heat teammate Norris Cole missed a layup in transition during the second quarter of the Heat’s eventual 90-79 victory, which gave them a 3-2 series advantage. Andersen then confronted Hansbrough, bumped him in the chest and struggled with official Marc Davis when Davis came to break up the altercation. Officials gave technical fouls to both players and called Andersen for a flagrant foul 1 for the initial altercation. NBA vice president Stu Jackson upgraded the foul to a flagrant foul 2 and added the suspension without pay because Andersen “escalated the altercation by shoving Hansbrough, and resisted efforts to bring the altercation to an end,” according to a league release. In addition, the technical given to Hansbrough was rescinded by the league. Andersen was not made available to the media after Thursday’s game or after the Heat’s practice Friday. Earlier Friday, in an interview with NBC Sports Radio, NBA commissioner David Stern condemned Andersen’s actions and said officials. Andersen’s suspension is an important blow to the Heat, who have struggled with the Pacers’ size in the series. Andersen is averaging 7.2 points and 4.6 rebounds in the five games and is a perfect 15-for-15 from the field. He had four points and four rebounds in Game 5. The NBA has upgraded fouls after four of the five games in the series. The Pacers’Ian Mahinmi and David West and the Heat’s Dwyane Wade also had fouls upgraded to flagrants after review. This also is the second consecutive year a Heat big man has been suspended for Game 6 of a playoff series against the Pacers, and the second time it involved a hit on Hansbrough. Last season, Heat forward Udonis Haslem was suspended for Game 6 in Indiana after a blow to Hansbrough during Game 5 in Miami. Tags:birdman, chris andersen, chris andersen suspended, Miami Heat, miami heat indiana pacers game 5, tyler hansbrough