The Miami Heat announced that they will rest stars LeBron James and Chris Bosh on Wednesday in their regular season finale against the Philadelphia 76ers with their playoff position locked.
The Heat will be the number two seed in the Eastern Conference with a win or a loss on Wednesday; the only mystery remaining for the team is who they will face. That answer is out of their hands as well which leads to the finale being a meaningless game for Miami. With that in mind, finding an extra day off for two of their big stars was likely an easy decision. James and Bosh also sat out Miami's previous game on Monday against the Washington Wizards for rest.
The Heat may still have one star on the court with Dwyane Wade likely to play, albeit possibly in limited action. Wade missed several games due to various injuries and could benefit from keeping sharp more than he would from rest like his teammates. It's unlikely Wade will see his normal allotment of minutes as the team will try to limit potential injury risk in a meaningless game.
Another name to keep an eye on tonight is Greg Oden with the team listing him as a game-time decision in a tweet. Oden has not played since March 26th against the Indiana Pacers and is currently battling a stomach virus after a bout with back spasms. Oden still remains a possibility for playing time in the playoffs, but his extended absence likely altered plans to have him as a member of the starting five.
The Heat will begin the playoffs this weekend at home against either the Wizards or the Charlotte Bobcats. Their opponent will be determined on Wednesday.
