updated 6:49 p.m. ET June 17, 2006

Avery Johnson’s high-pitched, Cajun drawl had a little more whine to it than usual, and it rose along with his anger. Dallas’ coach rolled his eyes and expressed frustration the only way he could.

In NBA parlance, he was flagrant. Maybe even a tad excessive.

But Johnson felt he had every right to be.

One day after calling Jerry Stackhouse’s suspension for Game 5 of the NBA finals for a hard foul against Miami center Shaquille O’Neal “a bunch of baloney,” Johnson vented during a fiery interview session on Saturday.

The spiritual Johnson, who has spent time preaching in church pulpits, did more than cry foul. He hollered for justice.

“Everybody’s so amazed that I disagree with the decision,” he said. “I mean, what am I supposed to do, go out and have a parade and have a party? Because the league comes down with a certain ruling, what are we supposed to do as coaches, say amen?

“I disagree with the ruling, all right. I don’t think it’s consistent with what we’ve seen in the playoffs. It didn’t bother Shaq. I just want there to be a level of consistency. There’s too much inconsistency. ... That’s the frustration for me. Just be consistent, all right.”

All right.

Johnson, though, wasn’t done. He ranted and raved some more.

At one point, without uttering O’Neal’s name, Johnson alluded that Miami’s big man, who split open Stackhouse’s nose with an elbow in Game 1, was getting preferential treatment from officials.

“Look at the first play of the game, all right,” he said, referring to Game 4. “Their player, Player A, came over and just pounded Dirk (Nowitzki). I wasn’t crying about a flagrant foul. It was an elbow to Dirk’s head. We weren’t crying about a flagrant foul, because we don’t complain about flagrant fouls.

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“But we make the same attempt, and then my player gets suspended. So now because I’m supposed to be a religious man, I’m supposed to come in here and have a prayer meeting.”

Stackhouse’s high-and-hard shove that flattened O’Neal in the third quarter of Miami’s 98-74 rout in Game 4 remained the hot topic as the Mavericks and Heat prepared for Sunday’s Game 5 with the series knotted at 2-2.

Stackhouse, Dallas’ top reserve averaging 13.0 points in the finals, took part in the club’s practice. Afterward, the third Mavericks player to be suspended during these playoffs, was asked for a comment.

“Go Mavs,” said Stackhouse, who was given permission to stay in the locker room during the club’s media availability.

What about the suspension?

“The league handed it down — just accept it and move on,” he told The Associated Press as he left the building and boarded the team bus for the ride to the Mavericks’ new hotel in Fort Lauderdale.

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