INDIANAPOLIS -- The Eastern Conferences top team just got more imposing. Lester Hayes Raiders Jersey . On Saturday, the Pacers added size and scoring punch to their roster by signing mercurial free agent centre Andrew Bynum for the rest of the season. Team officials did not release additional details about the contract and said Bynum was expected to join the team sometime next week. "We are obviously happy to have him join our team," Larry Bird said in a statement issued by the team less than 12 hours before Indiana hosted Brooklyn on Saturday night. "He gives us added size, he is a skilled big man and he has championship experience. With the minutes he gets, he should be a valuable addition." Adding a guy with Bynums mercurial reputation to a locker room as selfless as the Pacers is definitely a gamble, though likely a low-risk one since Bird, the Pacers president of basketball operations, has made it clear the Pacers would not pay the NBAs luxury tax and Indiana had an open spot on its roster. But if Bynum performs as he did in helping the Lakers win back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010, it could create even more lineup mismatches against two-time defending champion Miami in the East. Indiana (35-10) entered Saturday with a three-game lead over the Heat in the chase for home-court advantage and has made no secret of its desire to get the top seed in its quest to win the teams first NBA crown. Bynum will give the Pacers another big body off the bench, backing up All-Star centre Roy Hibbert. And his offensive skills give Indiana another scorer to go with the leagues best defence. Miami, which struggled against Indianas size during last seasons Eastern Conference finals, tried to close the gap by signing the oft-injured former No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden, an Indianapolis native, last summer. Oden has played sparingly this season, though he has been improving. Saturdays move could give the Pacers an even bigger advantage -- if the 7-foot-1, 285-pound centre returns to his previous form. The move also prevents the Heat from signing Bynum as had been widely speculated. But Bynum is far from a sure thing. After the Lakers traded Bynum to Philadelphia in 2012, he missed the entire season because of knee injuries. This season, after signing with Cleveland as a free agent, he played in only 24 games before he was suspended indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the team. He was eventually dealt to Chicago, which quickly released Bynum so it didnt have to guarantee the remaining $6 million owed to him this season. Since then, Bynum has been looking for a landing spot and finally settled on Indiana. "It really wasnt a hard decision, I think its the right fit for me and, in all honesty, I think weve got the best chance of winning," Bynum said in a statement. "It will be great to back up Roy and Ill do whatever I can to help this team." With Cleveland, he averaged 8.4 points and 5.3 rebounds. He has career averages of 11.5 points per game and 7.7 rebounds, and his best season came in 2011-12 when he averaged 18.7 points and 11.8 rebounds with the Lakers. Jim Otto Jersey . Bale has had a successful debut season in Spain, and Ancelotti appears ready to reward him with a starting role on Saturday. Ancelotti says "Gareth had some problems at the beginning (of the season) but when he found good physical condition he scored a lot of goals, he had a good impact on the team. Jerry Rice Raiders Jersey . Lawries batting helmet hit an umpire during his ninth-inning outburst in the Jays 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay on Tuesday. The 22-year-old threw his helmet to the ground and it bounced up and hit home plate umpire Bill Miller on the right hip after Lawrie was called out on strikes for the second out. http://www.shoptheraidersonline.com/Elite-Kenny-Stabler-Raiders-Jersey/ . Mesoraco hurt his hamstring while scoring from second in Friday nights 5-4 loss at Atlanta. Chapman was hit by a line drive during an exhibition game on March 19, breaking his nose and a bone above his left eye. The left-hander looked strong while throwing 43 pitches in batting practice before Saturday nights game against the Braves.New QPR boss Ian Holloway says Gareth Southgate should already have been named the permanent England manager. And Holloway has criticised the FAs handling of the situation, feeling that they should not have sacked Sam Allardyce in the first place and that, having done so, they subsequently undermined Southgate.Allardyce took charge after Englands disappointing Euro 2016 campaign but lasted just one match, leaving his post after he made contentious remarks to undercover Daily Telegraph reporters. Southgate was then promoted from his post as U21 boss on an interim basis for the remaining four games of 2016, and led England to two wins, including a 3-0 defeat of Scotland, and a pair of draws.Following Tuesdays 2-2 draw with Spain, Southgate is hot favourite to continue in the role, but he will have to wait while an FA selection panel consider their options. Southgate is the leading contender to take the England job on a full-time basis Holloway thinks the delay is unnecessary and hit out at the FA for their treatment of Southgate during the first press conference of his second spell at QPR on Wednesday.If I was them, I would have made a decision there and then to give it to him, said Holloway. Six months half price Upgrade to Sky Sports to watch Man Utd v Arsenal on Saturday and get the first six months half price I mean, he has been undermined for four games, if you ask me. Oh, you have got four games, one of them is a friendly.He has carried himself with real class but I dont think the FA have carried themselves with real class. Oh, we are going to ttake our time. Trayvon Mullen Raiders Jersey. To do what?What have you been doing, any one of you? Who are you?That is how I feel. Give him the job. Adrian Bevington believes Gareth Southgate has earned the right to be made national team manager Holloway also feels Allardyce was harshly treated, questioning the decision to end his tenure so abruptly.Would I have got rid of Sam on a newspaper scam? he said. Probably not.Sam could have made Gareth even better, because he could have taught him.For me, its a bit of an embarrassment. The best managers I have felt, in that job, have been hounded out.What are we doing? What are we doing to our own game?Upgrade to Sky Sports now to watch Man Utd v Arsenal this Saturday and get the first six months half price! Also See: Nev questions selection panel Henderson: Give Gareth the job Spain fightback stuns England England talking points ' ' '