Wade misses practice due to migraine; status uncertain

MIAMI - The Miami Heat expect Dwyane Wade to play Monday night in Game 2 of their playoff series against the 76ers, but no one could say for sure Sunday after the seven-time all-star missed practice because of a migraine headache.

According to a Heat official, Wade came to the practice facility at AmericanAirlines Arena, saw team doctors, got medication, and went home before practice.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said it was too early to determine Wade's availability; he said he would have a better idea during the team's shootaround on Monday morning.

"He's had them before and he's now resting," Spoelstra said.

Migraines can be debilitating. Wade missed a home game on Jan. 22 against Toronto with a migraine. He returned the next game, on Jan. 27, scoring 34 points and grabbing a career-high 16 rebounds in a 93-88 loss to the Knicks in New York.

Wade is sensitive to light, and even if he plays against the 76ers, he could be wearing shaded goggles, something he did in the game against the Knicks.

LeBron James said he had not talked to Wade after finding out about his situation.

"It's not a comfortable situation, for sure," James said. "I remember when I had to wear a mask when I broke my nose and it was just uncomfortable playing."

James said he expects Wade to play.

Wade had an uneven performance, for him, in Saturday's opening 97-89 win over the Sixers. He committed five fouls and played just 35 minutes, 23 seconds.

Wade did come on strong in the second half. At halftime, he had just six points, shooting 2 for 6 from the field. Wade finished the game with 19 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.

When asked if the migraines bothered Wade on Saturday, Spoelstra said, "No, I don't think it affected anything."

Miami's players were asked about what happens if Wade cannot play. Not surprisingly, the Heat suggested that they would not fold.

"Of course you miss 25 points, eight assists, and eight rebounds," said Chris Bosh, who had 25 points and 12 rebounds in the opening win. "But we have been in this situation before, and coming from where we come from, we never make excuses for anything and expect to win the game no matter what happens."

Shoeless Thad. Sixers forward Thaddeus Young became a YouTube sensation when he lost his right shoe while scoring on a layup to cut Miami's lead to 88-79 with 5:36 left in Game 1. Heat center Joel Anthony stepped on his foot and the shoe came off.

Young ran down the court, threw the shoe toward the stands, and continued to defend. Bosh drove to the basket past Young on the ensuing play, but had the ball stripped by another Sixer.

When asked if he knew Young lost the shoe, Bosh responded, "No, I never look down on a guy's shoe."

LeBron on the boards. James shot just 4 for 14 in the opener, including 0 for 4 in the second half. He did go to the foul line frequently, hitting 13 of 14 free throws, and had five assists, but his biggest contribution was in the rebounding department, where he had 14.

"A lot of my late rebounds, we needed every last one," said James, who recorded five of his rebounds in the fourth quarter. "Thaddeus Young was doing an unbelievable job going inside, getting rebounds, and I tried to turn my focus on offensive and defensive rebounding."