It is not in Ben Wallace?s nature to blast somebody with an elbow or a forearm outside the context of the game. He prides himself on playing hard, aggressively and cleanly.

But, he admits, the time might be coming for him to step outside himself and send a strong message to opponents who continually grab and hold and shove him in the back, and to officials who look the other way.

?I have to keep playing,? Wallace said. ?I can?t allow that to affect my game. But I can?t allow a guy to come down and just hold me, either.?

?I have to get a little more aggressive,? Wallace added. ?I have to do something to get them up off of me, whether I take a foul or try to get a ref?s attention. I?m not going to let them just hold me like that.?