With the streak over, the Heat don’t have much of anything to play for. They have locked up the best record in the East and have a 3.5 game lead over San Antonio for the best in the NBA. All that matters the rest of the way for the Heat is to be healthy and rested for the second season.
So don’t expect to see a lot of Dwyane Wade until the postseason
He played through this knee issue a little but has sat six of the last eight Heat games, and there is no reason to push him so he expects to sit, the All-Star told ESPN.“The most important thing is to be healthy,” Wade said Sunday, addressing the media for the first time since he last played March 29. “So when I feel it, then I’ll get back on the court. Obviously, I want to play. But I have to make sure that I’m right. You have to get healthy….
“We took care of business so we were able to say, ‘We have these injuries, so let’s take care of it now and be smart,’” Wade said. “I would love to be playing right now. As a player, if you get a couple of days off you, you want to get back to it. But I’m just trying to be smart with my doctors. When I feel like I can get back on the floor, then I will.”
Every player has bumps and bruises that could use some rest this time of year. Wade’s is a little more serious — he bumped knees with a defender in the March 6 Orlando game and it has bothered him since.
Just know the Heat are coasting the rest of the way and you likely will not see Wade again until they face Milwaukee in the first round.