LeBron Covers for Injured Wade

The decision between playing with an injury or missing one of your team’s biggest games of the season is often a hard one for NBA players. But the Miami Heat have faced a lot of injuries this year, and aren’t willing to risk anymore. That’s why when they were facing the Milwaukee Bucks for an afternoon game yesterday, LeBron James made it easy for Dwayne Wade. He told Wade that if he didn’t “feel like [he could] be close to 100 per cent, then don’t push it.” Wade didn’t, and LeBron stepped in helping the Miami Heat sweep the Bucks and move onto the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The decision for Wade to sit out was a hard one for the point guard to make, but reasonable considering that he had spent Saturday receiving treatment around the clock; and he had also been kept out of the team’s scrimmage that day. All of this came after a shoddy performance against the Bucks the previous Thursday evening.

But when you don’t have Wade, you have to rely on LeBron, and rely on him his team could on Sunday. Although his start wasn’t the firework kind of performance fans are used to seeing, by the second half LeBron had shaken that off and came out especially strong. He finished the game with 30 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists. That showing was largely what helped the Heat take an 88-77 victory in the game, and sweep the Bucks in just four games.

Now the entire team, including Wade, will have much time to rest, as they don’t have another game until at least Sunday when they’ll face either the Nets or the Bulls.

Categorized in: NBA