The Miami Heat's Michael Beasley might be listed as questionable for tonight's game against the Charlotte Bobcats with a bruised sternum after being punched so hard in the chest by Dwyane Wade over the weekend that the second-year forward actually showed some heart.
Wade's punch heard round the 305 came during a fourth quarter timeout of the Atlanta Hawks game on Sunday, but it may have saved the Heat's season this year and 2010.
If this team is made up of a bunch of Tito Jackson's as Charles Barkley so eloquently put it, then who better to beat the best out of them than Joe?
Wade's jab ignited Beasley, who went off for 14 points in the quarter as the Heat pulled away from one of the Eastern Conference's top tier teams. But more importantly, it displayed how much Wade really wants to win in Miami.
He's willing to beat up his own teammates to make it happen.
"He punched me in the chest," Beasley said, "and he was yelling, 'I need you. No more feeling sorry for yourself."'
Minus the chest X-rays, it's a message the other Heat players should have been told games ago.
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We can think of quite a few teammates Wade should attack on the bench next if it will produce the same results. Maybe he could karate kick Daequan Cook in the shoulder so he can start shooting better. A quick jab to the ribs of Mario Chalmers might get the point guard out of his sophomore slump.
And then there is Rafer Alston, who we want Wade to beat up for the sake of beating up.
We're hoping it doesn't take anymore timeout beat downs to light a fire under this team with 19 games to play. Fighting for their playoffs lives should be incentive enough.
