Ailing Wade vows to be ready for NBA Finals.
DALLAS --
Dwyane Wade headed toward the practice floor Wednesday carrying his basketball sneakers in his right hand, a box of tissues in his left.
And for good measure, he sniffled a bit.
<!--------------------------START PLAYER CARD------------------><TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>
Dwyane Wade</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>
Guard
Miami Heat
Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>
2006 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR align=right><TD style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" width="17%">GM</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" width="17%">PPG</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" width="17%">RPG</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" width="17%">APG</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" width="17%">FG%</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" width="17%">FT%</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#bcbcb4><TD style="BACKGROUND: #999999">75</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #999999">27.2</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #999999">5.7</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #999999">6.7</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #999999">.495</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #999999">.783</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!---------------------INLINE MINI-PLAYER CARD ENDS HERE--------------------->
Wade is hurting as these NBA Finals loom, still suffering from a sinus infection that's bothered him for several days. But Miami's leading scorer insists he'll be ready when the NBA Finals between the Heat and the
Dallas Mavericks open Thursday night.
"Feeling better. Finally trying to get this virus out of me," Wade said, his voice sounding much huskier than usual because of the illness. "It's something that I've got to deal with. Decided to get back out there and get my conditioning going today and a little bit tomorrow, also, before the game."
Wade began dealing with what the team originally said were flu-like symptoms in the early morning hours Friday, the day Miami hosted Detroit in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals. Wade spent seven hours in the hospital that day, getting intravenous fluids to battle dehydration.
He scored 14 points in the Heat's series-clinching win that night, and went through a usual practice Sunday -- shooting plenty of jumpers afterward, as per his custom. And maybe, he conceded Wednesday, that the workout wasn't the best thing for his ailing body that day.
"It kind of shut me down the next day totally," Wade said. "Yeah, I probably came back and tried to do too much, too early. But, I mean, that's what I'm going to do."
Wade didn't practice Monday or Tuesday in Miami, and visited a doctor again Monday. His illness aside, he was eager to get back on the floor for the workout in Dallas on Wednesday.
"I'm anxious. I want to get out on the court right now," Wade said. "I haven't been out there in a couple of days. I just want to get back and continue to work on my game like I always do."
Wade is averaging 26.2 points in the playoffs, seventh most in the NBA and second-most among those who reached the finals, 2.2 points shy of
Dirk Nowitzki's average for Dallas. Wade is shooting 51 percent in the postseason, and hit 62 percent of his tries against the Pistons in the East finals.
And while there is some concern, Heat coach Pat Riley seemed confident that Wade would be fine.
"It always bothers you. But he seemed pretty good spirits today and we're trying to get him well, really well," Riley said. "And if we went out and practiced him two hours or whatever it was, that wouldn't help him. So we think he's gaining his strength back ... and hope that he's as close to 100 percent as he can be tomorrow night."