Suns forward Amar'e Stoudemire is expected to hear a chorus of boos from fans in Portland on Thursday night.

Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum called Stoudemire "dirty" after Game 3, during which Stoudemire threw an elbow at LaMarcus Aldridge.

He was handed a Flagrant Foul 1 the next day.

Batum also accused Stoudemire of taking a shot at his injured shoulder in Game 4.

"Phoenix Suns, dirty players," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. "Wow, we've come a long ways. Amar'e's not a dirty player. He's not even close to being a dirty player and neither do I think that anybody on their team is a dirty player. It's the same thing that happens in any playoff series. When you play somebody five times, there's going to be a little snippiness."

Stoudemire is fine with his role as Phoenix looks to close out the series.

"That's fine," Stoudemire said. "I love it. It definitely gets me riled up. I play better that way. It's the playoffs. Both teams have been physical.

"They're loud but it doesn't bother me. When you're home, it's great because your fans are with you. When you're away, it's almost a little bit better to me because they're loud and they're against you. It motivates me. When you win, it feels great."