The league has reviewed several plays from Game 2 between the Pacers and the Heat, but only the elbow that Dwyane Wade delivered to the head of Lance Stephenson was determined to be deserving of any additional attention.
Wade was not suspended for the hit, but the play was upgraded to a flagrant one foul, the NBA announced on Sunday.
There was considerable speculation that Wade might be in danger of being forced to sit out Game 3 because of his action on the play, an awkward one where he left his feet in an apparent attempt to try to get past Stephenson in the open floor. Wade caught Stephenson with an elbow while doing so, though the referees didn’t even whistle Wade for a personal foul at the time.
Elbows to the head or similar shots taken by players outside of the normal course of the game have often times been punished after undergoing review days later, but the strange nature of this particular play, along with the fact that it was extremely difficult to determine whether or not Wade had any malicious intent were likely the factors that allowed Wade to escape the suspension.
A far more minor play from David West, where he appeared to intentionally catch Mario Chalmers with an elbow, was among the other plays that were thought to be similarly under review.