Dwyane Wade dislocated his left index finger during the first quarter of the Miami Heat’s game with the Washington Wizards on Saturday night.  Read more after the jump.
Wade got his finger caught in Wizards guard Jordan Crawford’s jersey while playing defense just two minutes into the game. He immediately went to the bench where a Heat team doctor attempted to pop the finger back into place. Wade, who already has missed 14 games this season because of injuries, then went to the locker room. The Heat said he would miss the rest of the game.
The Heat were already without LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Miami entered the weekend just a game back in the loss column of the Chicago Bulls for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
Bosh was listed as inactive because of “minor ailments” while James was designated as being out by Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. However, James was in uniform.
Wade’s departure makes Saturday night’s game the first time the Heat have played without their three All-Stars since the final game of last regular season.
Spoelstra said James would sit out for just the second time this season because of some general soreness after playing six games in nine days. It appears the coach is just picking a night to find James some rest. James said earlier this week he hoped to take a game or two off before the playoffs begin next weekend.
“We’re on the same page,” Spoelstra said. “He was pretty sore and dehydrated after the last game (Thursday’s win over the Bulls) so this was an easy decision.”
Bosh will miss his third consecutive game. Spoelstra has been vague about Bosh during the week, saying he’s got some “minor ailments” and that the team is “really being proactive” in getting him some rest.
Bosh dove on the floor and then got up gingerly during the Heat’s game on Monday in New Jersey but finished the game and had a season-high 15 rebounds that night. Spoelstra was vague about what is holding Bosh out of the lineup.
Both players would be deemed questionable for the Heat’s final home game of the season on Sunday when they host the Houston Rockets.
In addition, Heat center Ronny Turiaf will miss his sixth consecutive game with a hamstring injury. There is no timetable for his return.
