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Greg Oden says knees feel “fine” after game action, could play Friday vs. Sixers

Miami Heat vs Washington Wizards

Miami Heat center Greg Oden (20) slam dunks against the Washington Wizards during the first half of their game played at the Verizon Center in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014. (Harry E. Walker/MCT via Getty Images)

MCT via Getty Images

Greg Oden was back for a night and that alone was worth celebrating — he dunked, he started the second half, he played more than eight minutes, scored six points and he wasn’t the reason Miami got it’s doors blown off by the Wizards.

He said felt good after the run, which means we could see more of him starting in Philadelphia Friday.

Here is how Oden described how he felt a day after his first game, speaking to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

After the workout, Oden said his knees responded “fine [with] no swelling” from his first meaningful game action since Dec. 5, 2009, when he suffered his second season-ending knee injury as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers.

The question Oden is more concerned about is soreness and there wasn’t any of that either, he told Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com.

“One is to have no swelling and no soreness. The soreness, that I can’t handle,” Oden said of what needs to be in order for him to play. “We have been fortunate enough to not have that for a while. So that, no soreness and the OK. There is no soreness now.”

“We will stick with the plan,” (Heat coach Erik) Spoelstra added. “And the plan will be strength training, core work, hip-strengthening work and if he can’t do those then we won’t play him.”

Expect to continue to see Oden get limited minutes (less than 10-12 a night) as he rounds back into shape and the Heat see what they can really get out of him. Then they can decide if they need to add another big to the roster (hello Andrew Bynum).