MIAMI (CBSMiami) — Indiana Pacers forward Paul George has been diagnosed with a concussion following the Pacers loss in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Miami. About half way through the 4th quarter of the Heat’s 87-83 victory, George took a knee to the back of his head from Dwyane Wade as the two went after a loose ball. Following the game George told reporters that he briefly blacked out and was suffering from blurred vision for the duration of the game.
Pacers trainers immediately began evaluating George in accordance with the NBA’s policy on concussions, but the All-Star swingman declined to inform the trainers of his symptoms and was allowed to continue playing in the game, according to George.
George visited with the Pacers consulting neurologist on Wednesday and based on his statements to the media following the game about blacking out and his blurry vision, was diagnosed with a concussion.
George now begins the NBA-mandated protocol for return to action. He won’t be allowed to participate in any team activities until he is symptom-free and passes a step-by-step protocol that includes work on a stationary bike, agility workouts, jogging and non-contact team drills. Before he can resume playing, George will have to be approved by the Pacers team physician and Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, the director of the NBA concussion program.
Unfortunately for the Pacers, Paul George’s concussion wasn’t the only bad news facing the team following their loss to Miami.
Indiana guard Lance Stephenson has been fined $5,000 by the NBA for flopping. On a night where Pacers fans serenaded LeBron James with chants of “He’s a flopper”, it was one of their own who would catch the eye of the NBA’s disciplinarians. With about 3:40 left in the 3rd quarter, Stephenson was following behind James as he dribbled down the floor. Stephenson lightly bumped into LeBron, tossing his arms in the air as he fell to the floor.
After peeking at the referee to see if he had drawn the foul, Stephenson stayed on the court motionless with his eyes closed and head down for several seconds until Paul George came over and helped him off the floor.
Stephenson is no stranger to flopping, having been warned by the league twice during the regular season and incurring a $5,000 fine for the second violation. He was also fined during last year’s Eastern Conference Finals against the Heat which was the first year the NBA began penalizing players for flopping. This is the first time during the 2014 NBA Playoffs that the league has issued any warnings or fines for flopping.
Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals is Saturday night in Miami. The series is tied 1-1.
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