Miami
Heat

News: Bosh (abdominal strain) says he is "healing at a very fast rate right now," ESPN.com reports.
Impact: Bosh remains ruled out for Thursday's Game 6, but he hopes to make a return to the court if the Heat can get past the Pacers and advance to the Conference Finals. "It's gotten a lot better," Bosh added.

News: Pittman was suspended three games in response to his flagrant foul against Indiana backup guard Lance Stephenson in the final seconds of Game 5.
Impact: Pittman logged only six minutes in the playoffs anyway, his presence in the postseason barely noticed until he laid out Stephenson - who made at least one choke sign toward James earlier in the series - with a forearm to the chin and shoulder areas.

News: Haslem was suspended for Game 6 of the Miami-Indiana Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Impact: Haslem committed a flagrant foul in Game 5 against Indiana's Tyler Hansbrough, clearly in response to the play against Dwyane Wade earlier in the contest.

News: The NBA suspended Pittman for three games following an after-the-play forearm check to the Pacers' Lance Stephenson, NBA.com's David Aldridge reports.
Impact: Pittman wasn't playing much anyway so this might not have any sort of huge affect on the Heat aside from the unfortunate fact that Juwan Howard might have to play for the first time since Eddie Curry could run.

News: The NBA has suspended Haslem for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports.
Impact: Haslem would return for a potential Game 7. Heat center Dexter Pittman (three games) was also suspended.

News: James is the leading vote-getter for the league's all-defensive team.
Impact: James totaled 53 points, including 24 first-team votes. He averaged 1.9 steals and 7.9 rebounds as Miami ranked fourth in the league in opponent scoring.

News: James once again flirted with a triple-double Tuesday, scoring 30 points with 10 rebounds and eight assists during the Heat's 115-83 win over the Pacers.
Impact: James went 12-of-19 from the floor and 4-of-4 from the line, adding two 3-pointers, one steal and one block in 38 minutes of action. Over the last two games, he's averaged 35 points, 14 rebounds and 8.5 assists, as James has taken control of the series.

News: Battier will start at power forward Tuesday in Game 5 of Miami's Eastern Conference semifinal against Indiana, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.
Impact: Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is using the same starting lineup that fell behind early in Sunday's Game 4 in an eventual victory at Indiana. Battier played the fourth-most minutes Sunday, racking up 30. However, he missed all but one of his seven field goals, a three-pointer, totaling three points, four rebounds, and one block. With Mike Miller ailing, expect Battier to see a similar run on the wing for the Heat on Tuesday.

News: Turiaf will be Miami's starter at center Tuesday in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference semifinal against Indiana, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.
Impact: Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is trotting out the same starting five that fell behind early in Sunday's Game 4 in an eventual win at Indiana. Turiaf had little success as he was held scoreless with one rebound and two turnovers in 14 minutes of play. If Spoelstra utilizes a similar rotation to Game 4's, look for Udonis Haslem and Joel Anthony to see the bulk of the minutes in the Heat's frontcourt Tuesday.

News: Bosh (strained abdominal muscle) remains sidelined indefinitely, ESPN.com reports.
Impact: Bosh has been ruled out for Games 5 and 6 against the Pacers, and beyond that, he's iffy. "He's doing some work, but he won't be joining us (on Tuesday)," coach Erik Spoelstra said Monday. "He's not even near any court work right now."

News: Battier will start at power forward in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semis on Sunday, Ian Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports.
Impact: Battier got the start at small forward in Game 3, with LeBron James playing power forward. That combo will switch roles in Game 4, most likely so James won't have to wear himself down with the big men on the defensive end of the floor.

News: Turiaf will start at center in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Sunday, Ian Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports.
Impact: Turiaf will get the first shot at Indiana's suddenly dominant center, Roy Hibbert. Joel Anthony will also be in the mix as the two try to fill the void left by the injured Chris Bosh.

News: Wade has been getting treatment in recent days for the same lower-leg issue that caused him to miss some games at the end of the the regular season, ESPN.com reports.
Impact: Wade's shot was clearly off during Thursday's loss to the Pacers. He went 2-for-13 with no first half points. "It's obvious he wasn't himself," teammate LeBron James said following the game. The Heat didn't practice Friday and don't play until Sunday. They are surely hoping Wade plays better in the crucial Game 4.

News: Wade scored just five points on 2-of-13 shooting Thursday night in Miami's loss to Indiana in Game 3 of their playoff series.
Impact: Wade was scoreless in the first half and things didn't get much better after that. The highlight of the game was his verbal confrontation with head coach Erik Spoelstra during a third-quarter timeout. The Heat can survive without Chris Bosh (abdomen), but not if Wade puts up a stinker like this.

News: Pittman started at center but played just three minutes Thursday night in Miami's loss to Indiana in Game 3 of their playoff series.
Impact: The Heat are in trouble in the frontcourt with Chris Bosh (abdomen) ailing and out of the lineup. Roy Hibbert had himself quite a night (19 points, 18 rebounds, five blocked shots) Thursday and we can certainly expect Indiana head coach Frank Vogel to continue to exploit the matchup in the low post.

News: Battier will start at small forward Thursday against the Pacers, the Heat's official site reports.
Impact: With Chris Bosh (abdomen) out, the Heat will slide LeBron James to power forward and use Battier at the three. Battier will provide the Heat with his usual stellar defense, but don't expect much on the other end of the court. He's averaging five points in 28 minutes per game this postseason.

News: Pittman will start at center for Thursday's Game 3 tilt against the Pacers, the Heat's official site reports.
Impact: With Chris Bosh out, the Heat will slide LeBron James to power forward and plug Pittman in at center. Pittman provides the team with size to counter Roy Hibbert, but it's unlikely he'll log heavy minutes, even in a starting role.

News: Bosh (abdomen) did not travel with the Heat to Indianapolis and has been officially ruled out of Game 3 and 4, Fox Sports' Sam Amico reports.
Impact: Not much of a surprise here, as Bosh is expected to miss at least a couple of weeks. Don't expect Bosh to return for the Heat's second round matchup against the Pacers, but he could be back in action later this postseason if Miami continues to advance.

News: James will play some power forward in Miami's Eastern Conference semifinal versus Indiana with Chris Bosh (strained abdominal) out indefinitely, NBA.com reports.
Impact: This is a mostly positive development, according to James, as the rotation tweak will allow him to utilize his superb rebounding and passing abilities to jump start more transition opportunities. However, he said that he could wear down by the fourth quarter due to the physicality of the role. James' ironman qualities will likely stave off fatigue, though, so expect yet another impressive outing.

News: Turiaf will start at center Tuesday in Game 2 of Miami's Eastern Conference semifinal against Indiana, the Heat's official site reports.
Impact: Turiaf gets the nod for Chris Bosh, who is out indefinitely with a strained abdominal muscle suffered during Game 1 on Sunday. During that tilt, Turiaf only saw 10 minutes of court time, recording four points (2-4 FG, 0-4 FT), three rebounds, and one block. Expect Bosh's replacement to change by the game as Joel Anthony (nine points, seven boards, and one block in 24 minutes) was quite effective as well Sunday.

News: Bosh suffered a strained abdominal muscle Sunday against the Pacers, FOX23.com reports.
Impact: An MRI exam Monday revealed the news, and as a result, Bosh will be sidelined indefinitely. The "indefinite" tag by definition does not include a timetable for his possible return, but initially this seems like the sort of issue that could sideline him for weeks, as opposed to days. We'll let you know if that assessment changes.

News: Bosh strained a lower abdominal muscle in Game 1 against Indy in the Eastern Conference semifinal series, that original diagnosis confirmed Monday after an MRI exam. The team said Bosh is out "indefinitely," though coach Erik Spoelstra and others say the injury could have been worse.
Impact: Bosh is out for Game 2 on Tuesday, and sounds like he probably won't play again in this series. "This season has to be extended for me to play again," Bosh said. "So that's what's on my mind."

News: Bosh will undergo an MRI for the abdominal strain he suffered Sunday, ESPN.com's Tom Haberstroh reports.
Impact: We'll know more about his availability for Game 2 following the MRI, but abdominal strains usually sideline a player for at least a few games. Consider him questionable for Game 2 until the MRI results are released.

News: NBA Commissioner David Stern handed James his third MVP trophy in a pregame ceremony before the Heat hosted the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.
Impact: James was announced Saturday as the winner of the award. Fans attending the Indiana-Miami playoff game were all given headbands with James' logo and the letters ``MVP'' printed on them, as well as placards to mark the occasion. James is the eighth player to win the award at least three times. ``Pretty good company,'' Stern said.

News: Bosh will sit out the rest of Game 1 with an abdominal injury, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Ira Winderman reports.
Impact: Bosh suffered the injury late in the second quarter. Ronny Turiaf will be asked to eat more minutes in Bosh's absence. No word on how Bosh's injury may affect his status for Game 2, which tips off Tuesday.

News: Bosh left Game 1 of Miami's playoff series against Indiana with an abdominal injury, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Ira Winderman reports.
Impact: Bosh apparently tweaked the groin on a follow through after a dunk. No word on his availability for the second half, but we'll update his condition once more in known.

News: James accepted his third NBA MVP award Saturday, making him the eighth player in league history to win that many.
Impact: James got the word about this MVP award Thursday. Longtime friend and close associate Randy Mims delivered the message because James couldn't be reached when the call came. Of all the messages Mims has given James over the years, this one was unforgettable, he said. ``This is crazy,'' James said.

News: A person familiar with the decision tells The Associated Press that James will be announced Saturday as the NBA's MVP, the third time he's won the award in the past four seasons.
Impact: James will become the eighth player to win the award at least three times, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Moses Malone. He'll be the first to win as a member of the Heat. James' previous MVP awards in 2009 and 2010 came when he played for Cleveland.