Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl
Heat owner Micky Arison attended his team’s practice Monday only to find his three $100 million players on the sidelines with him.
Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh all sat out practice with various injuries, further sobering a team on a three-game losing streak.
Bosh and James were both nursing sprained left ankles suffered during the Heat’s just-ended five-game road trip. Wade was out with a sore knee resulting from a collision in Saturday night’s loss in Chicago.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Wade was probable for Tuesday’s home game against the Atlanta Hawks, that James was going to be a game-time decision and that Bosh was doubtful. Neither Bosh nor James even tied his left shoe while taking it easy Monday.
The Heat may look to be cautious with just two games over an 11-day span.
“I’m getting better, I’m doing a lot of treatment and staying in the training room,” James said. “If it was the playoffs I could’ve definitely went out there and played [Saturday]. We’ve got to do what is best for us and the team ultimately. If I feel good and the training staff feels I’m ready to go then I’m going to go.”
Bosh had an MRI on the ankle that confirmed a mild sprain after Bulls center Omer Asik fell on him Saturday, causing him to miss the fourth quarter. After the game Bosh expressed frustration that Asik injured him while diving at his legs chasing a loose ball.
“You’ve got to watch people’s legs,” Bosh said Saturday. “I know guys want to hustle and everything but we all want to play and provide for our families and have a job.”
Before the Bulls played Monday in Memphis, coach Tom Thibodeau defended Asik’s play.
“I saw it as a great hustle play,” Thibodeau said. “Omer is not that type of guy. He’s not going to ever try to take somebody out. He plays hard. He plays clean.”
Wade banged his left knee, which was already sore from a run-in with Jason Kidd three weeks ago, and jammed both wrists after drawing a shooting foul in the first half against the Bulls.
While he was on the floor there were some cheers at the United Center, something that Wade said surprised him in his hometown. Wade got a healthy dose of boos during the game after turning the Bulls down in free agency last summer.
“I was in the fetal position, I hit three parts of my body on that one,” Wade said. “For the first time when I went down I heard cheers, I never really heard that before.”
Brian Windhorst covers the Miami Heat for ESPN.com.
Follow Brian Windhorst on Twitter:Â @WindhorstESPN