Wade goes off for 40 one day after having fluid drained from knee
Dwyane Wade reminded the world once again on Sunday that when he's healthy, he's still one of the very best guards in the NBA.
Wade's been dealing with soreness in his left knee, and had fluid drained from it on Saturday. He was initially considered questionable to play against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, but after testing the knee out during warmups decided he was good to go.
He decided right. Wade was in vintage form against the Pistons, hitting a litany of mid-range jumpers, floaters and patented twisting layups, and going 12-of-13 from the free-throw line, on his way to 40 points. It was his second-highest total of the season, and he reached it without hitting a single 3-pointer (he attempted just one).
Behind Wade's explosive evening and an unexpected 18-point, 13-rebound (both season-highs) showing from Udonis Haslem, the Heat built a big cushion and held on to win 109-102, ending the Pistons' four-game win streak and solidifying their hold on the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Pistons got monster performances from Andre Drummond - who had 32 points and 14 boards - and the red-hot Reggie Jackson - who went for 31 points and nine assists - but they ultimately went for naught. The rest of the team combined to score just 39 points on 14-of-49 shooting.
After making a push in the last week-plus, the loss effectively douses whatever faint playoff hopes the Detroit's streak had managed to keep burning.