For the second straight night, Dwyane Wade sat out as the Miami Heat extended their long winning streak. His return could be as soon as this Wednesday, though, as Wade said the knee pain that kept him on the bench has subsided.
Wade told the Miami Herald Monday that he underwent an MRI and the results came back negative. He called his right knee injury "just a bruise," adding that he sat out the Heat's games Sunday and Monday because "you have to be smart about it."
"You have to understand what's coming down for our team in the next few days. [Sunday] was a good day, and hopefully it will feel better by Wednesday so I can get back on the court."
The Heat play the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night, when they will try to win their 28th game in a row, in Wade's hometown no less.
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Miami won easily both nights without Wade, but that was against Charlotte and Orlando, owners of the two worst records in the NBA. Chicago is 38-31, and has split their first two games against the Heat this season.
There is a reason Wade sat out the Charlotte and Orlando games, though, and it was precisely because of the competition. Saying the pain in his knee had been bothering him for two weeks, he said the timing was right for a break.
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"We don’t need to deal with this down the stretch, so I felt like this was the right time."
He played down the extent of the injury further. "The pain is kind of going away, and the doctors said it would," he said. "I'm not a doctor, but I knew there was nothing seriously wrong with it."
That is the best news Heat fans have heard all week. With the playoffs less than four weeks away, Wade will be needed at full strength very soon.
