Heat's Wade (back, neck) likely out 2nd game
Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade, who missed Friday’s game with back and neck issues, said late Friday that he’s “very unlikely” to play Saturday against Portland.
Wade, who averages 19.2 points per game to lead the Heat, was injured on a hard fall during Wednesday’s loss to the Lakers and watched Miami’s 112-106 victory against Sacramento on Friday from the bench in street clothes.
“It got worse (Friday),” Wade told reporters after Friday’s game. “The impact I made when I hit the floor, my lower back is real sore. And my neck from my head hitting the floor is real sore. It’s hard to walk normal, and it’s hard to look left or right fast. …
“There’s nothing I can do except take it one step at a time, because it’s not just my back. It’s my back and my neck.(It’s) equally bad. When I feel like I can move around, do things I need to do, I will jump back out there.”
Coach Erik Spoelstra, who said Wade was walking around like “Frankenstein,” said there’s no timetable at the moment for Wade’s return.
Gerald Green started in place of Wade and scored a season-high 30 points.
Miami (44-31) is tied with the Charlotte Hornets for third place in the Eastern Conference with seven games remaining. The Heat have a better division record than the Hornets and would get the higher seed in the postseason if the teams finish in a tie.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
