Indiana Pacers forward Tyler Hansbrough is fouled hard by Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem in the first half of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Dwyane Wade sat in the media room wearing a Band-Aid over his right eye, looking like he went 12 rounds with Manny Pacquiao. Danny Granger left the arena in a walking boot, while Lance Stephenson may have injured his collarbone and David West is nursing a sprained knee.

Things got so heated between Miami and Indiana Tuesday the playoff contest turned into an old-fashioned basketbrawl, a battle royale reminiscent of the days when hard fouls were the norm and the action was more suited for the Octagon. The league office handed down the punishments on Wednesday, suspending Heat forward Udonis Haslem for one game, reserve center Dexter Pittman for three games, and Pacers forward Tyler Hansbrough’s hard foul was upgraded to a flagrant 2.

Hansbrough ignited the fireworks in the second quarter with a hard foul on Wade, cutting the Heat star above the eye. Haslem returned the favor by whacking Hansbrough across the face. Both men were assessed a flagrant 1 foul. Wade said the Haslem foul doesn’t deserve a suspension, but he believed Hansbrough — also known as Psycho T — went a little too far with his tomahawk chop to the face.

“I took a shot that I thought was uncalled for. My face is not the ball so he didn’t make a play on the ball,” said Wade.

Hansbrough and Haslem were not the only ones who delivered blows in Game 5. Pittman leveled Stephenson with a WWE-type clothesline that would have made Charles Oakley proud. Stephenson immediately grabbed his shoulder and may have sustained a collarbone injury. It was an obvious retaliation to Stephenson’s choke sign aimed at LeBron James in Game 3 in Indiana.

“The Dexter Pittman play is as dirty as it gets. That should be a four to five games (suspension),” ESPN analyst Tim Legler said.

TV replays showed Pittman launching himself into Stephenson, and was later caught on the monitor winking at someone, giving the impression that he was targeting Stephenson and his elbow wasn’t accidental. The great Pat Riley once said that there is never such a thing as a accidental elbow. Pittman and Haslem delivered a powerful message to the Pacers that you don’t mess with any of the Heat superstars.

“You want to have great competitive games. You’re not giving up layups but you don’t want to hurt nobody,” Wade said. “It takes away from the game. I told my teammates that [Hansbrough] foul was over with so let’s focus on the game.”

West also left Game 5 early with a knee sprain, an injury he believes he sustained due to the physical play. “Guys just dove into my knee. Part of the game, I guess. But I can take care of myself. I don’t need the referees to do that. That will be dealt with,” West said. “It was just one of those things. It’s been a tough series, a very physical series.”

When someone asked West if one of the Heat players went after his knee on purpose he replied with a very cryptic message: “It’s part of the game. Again, I’ll take care of it. I can handle myself.”

The series has been extemely chippy from the start, with pockets of confrontations between West and Mario Chalmers and LeBron James and Granger. Now Hansbrough, Haslem and Pittman have cranked up the physical play as both sides are trying to apply the knockout punch.

Granger and James have been knocking each other around all series long, and Granger has gotten in LeBron’s face a couple of times. But one he literally tugged on Superman’s cape when he pulled LeBron’s jersey at halfcourt to prevent a fastbreak. LeBron didn’t appreciate the tug and threw his left elbow up to send a message, which caused Granger to flip.

Granger sprained his left ankle in the second quarter of Tuesday’s game in Miami when he stepped on LeBron’s foot while shooting a three, so his availability is now in question. He tried to give it a go in the second half but had to leave in the third quarter, which was when the Heat blew the game wide open.

Pacers president Larry Bird called his team “soft” after Game 5, but it’s a bit hard to digest that harsh criticism especially when you have three guys in the training room with major injuries. And don’t tell Wade and Haslem the Pacers are playing soft because their faces have taken a pounding.

Kevin Durant will be the leader of USA Basketball at the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey, beginning Aug. 28. (GETTY IMAGES)

Not a single player from the 2008 U.S. national team will compete in the 2010 FIBA World Championship, so Team USA will have a brand new look.

If the 2008 U.S. squad – a group that included Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade – was nicknamed the Redeem Team, then the 2010 U.S. team should be branded the Rebuild Team.

USA Basketball president Jerry Colangelo and head coach Mike Krzyzewski will have their work cut out for them as they reconstruct the U.S. men’s national team that will not only represent the country in the World Championship starting on Aug. 28 in Turkey, but be the core of the squad that will participate in the 2012 Olympics in London.

To win the World Championship, USA Basketball must have the following:

1) Big, strong point guards. Because FIBA allows hand-checking in international competition, it is important to have ball-handlers who can handle heavy pressure and physical play.

2) Shooters. You can’t have enough of them on your roster. The international 3-point line is three feet shorter than the NBA line so NBA snipers should be able to feast on this advantage.

3) Versatile big men. European big men possess guard skills so you want your power forwards and centers to be able to guard out in the perimeter.

4) Physical and mental toughness. In a single elimination tournament, players who can rise above pressure are essential. Having Kobe Bryant on the 2008 Olympic team was key to winning gold in Beijing. You need rugged and tough-minded players to beat battle-tested teams such as Spain, Greece, Argentina, Russia and Croatia.

5) Zone busters. At the international level, zone defenses are not just a gimmick. It’s important to have players who can defeat a zone on offense and play a little zone on defense.

Center JaVale McGee and forward Jeff Green were cut last week and Rajon Rondo decided to withdraw from the team this week. Here’s the scouting report on Team USA:

GUARDS

Chauncey Billups, PG-SG: At 33, the Denver Nuggets point guard is the elder statesman of this group and his value will come off the floor, acting as an extra coach on the roster. Billups is also a clutch outside shooter, which always comes in handy during international competition. His championship pedigree is a luxury Coach K and the rest of the coaching staff should utilize, especially on a team loaded with 21-year-olds.

Derrick Rose, PG: To be an effective point guard at the international level, you must be able to be physical enough to handle hand checking on the perimeter and quick enough to dart through the zone defenses. Rose fits the mold. It would be interesting to see who Coach K will start, Rose or Billups, because during the scrimmage in Las Vegas Rose blended well with Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, while Billups meshed well with Rajon Rondo.

Stephen Curry, PG-SG: Versatility will be a theme on this year’s U.S. team, and Curry is one of those guys who can play more than one position. The son of Dell Curry is a shooting guard in a point guard’s body. He can play both positions very well, but his forte is shooting the basketball. Curry is an absolute sniper; one of the best in the league. During his rookie season with the Golden State Warriors, he averaged 17.5 points per game and made 43% of his 3-point shots. Steph Curry is a pure shooter, make no mistake about it. He hould get plenty of open looks if he’s paired with Rose, who excels in the drive-and-kick game.

Stephen Curry made 43% of his 3-point shots as a rookie with the Golden State Warriors. Barring an injury, Curry should make the 12-man roster for Team USA. (GETTY IMAGES)

Russell Westbrook, PG: Though Westbrook doesn’t possess the long-range shooting of Billups or Curry, he makes up for it with his defense and incredible ability to get to the basket. During the scrimmages and the exhibition circuit, Westbrook hounded the other team’s point guards and forced a lot of turnovers and poor decisions. The OKC PG is one of the quickest players on the squad and he’ll be used as a situational player by Coach K.

Danny Granger, SG-SF: You can’t have enough shooters on the team, and Granger is one of the best in the NBA. The 6-foot-7 Indiana Pacers All-Star forward can also play some shooting guard, which affords Coach K more options. Granger didn’t have a particularly good camp in Las Vegas, but the coaching staff will give him every opportunity to make the roster. He redeemed himself with a better effort at the Nike World Basketball Festival.

Kevin Durant, SG-SF: Durant is the only sure thing to make the team. In fact, he might be named one of the team captains. With Kobe Bryant resting his knees and LeBron James and Dwyane Wade hosting parties in South Beach to celebrate their union, Durant is now the face of USA Basketball. The Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star and reigning NBA scoring champion has the game and the right mind-set to lead Team USA. During the week-long training camp in Las Vegas, Durant was easily the best player on the court.

Rudy Gay, SG-SF: Fresh off an offseason that proved to be very lucrative for the Memphis Grizzlies forward, Gay adds scoring, defense and versatility to the squad. Gay played well during the scrimmage in Las Vegas and at the World Basketball Festival in New York. His length (he’s got freakishly long arms) will come in handy on defense. Coach K has mentioned that he might use Durant and Gay at the 4 position to create some mismatches on offense.

Lamar Odom, PF: Odom not only brings NBA championship pedigree but he also brings plenty of international experience with his stint with Larry Brown’s Olympic team in 2004. Odom is one of only four players 6-10 and taller on the 15-man roster, and one of them is Durant, which tells you everything about the 2010 U.S. squad. So, because of the team’s lack of size, Odom should be a cinch to make the squad. And depending on certain matchups, Odom will be asked to play center.

Lamar Odom was part of the 2004 U.S. Olympic team that finished a disappointing third in Greece. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Kevin Love, PF: Because of the dearth of big men in the U.S. camp, Love has a very chance to make the roster. Love is not very big (he’s listed at 6-10, but probably closer to 6-8) but he’s a wide body (250 pounds) who carves out a lot of space in the paint. Love’s game may not be as fluid or as versatile as Odom’s, but he’s the type of player who can thrive at the international level. He’s tough, he’s gritty, he’s physical and has a nose for rebounds.

Tyson Chandler, C: The U.S. currently has just two 7-footers on the roster and Chandler is one of them. So, there is no way Coach K will cut Chandler because that leaves the U.S. extremely vulnerable inside. Chandler may not possess great offensive skills, but he makes his money on the defensive end. He’s a very good shot-blocker and rebounder, and is battle tested. He participated in the Tournament of the Americas in 2007 and actually played well. Chandler also adds a veteran presence in the locker room. Expect TC to be Team USA’s starting center at the World Championship.

Andre Iguodala, SG-SF: Iguodala could be used as one of the defensive stoppers for Coach K. The Sixers’ leading scorer can be a very good perimeter defender, and brings more versatility to the squad. If anything, Iguodala could be used as insurance policy in case Granger doesn’t pan out. Iguodala is not a pure shooter, but he can occasionally make a 3-point shot. But his ability to crowd people with his speed, length and athleticism will be his role for Team USA.

Eric Gordon, SG: Gordon has made it extremely tough to cut him because he has been so effective during practices, scrimmages and exhibitions. Gordon is a natural shooting guard and has shown that he can make wide-open threes as well as take the pounding inside on off dribble penetration.