Wade deflects question on future with Miami
‘I’m focused on the next game,’ he said when asked about returning.
MIAMI — The big question as Ben Simmons dribbled out the final five seconds of the 76ers’ 106-102 victory over the Heat Saturday: What went through Dwyane Wade’s mind?
Was the 36-year-old thinking about Game 5, and what his team, down 3-1, had to do to bring this series back to Miami? Did he fast forward to next season, wondering what Pat Riley’s plan will be to put enough talent around him to make sure the Heat are not in this position again?
Or, did Wade take a look at the rafters, nostalgia piercing his veins, see the banners depicting three championships, in all of which he played an important role, and, more importantly,
the retired numbers, and figure he would join them sooner than later, knowing there would not be a next season?
Wade did not answer that question as to whether Saturday was his final game at AmericanAirlines Arena, but he sure knows how put some drama into a non-answer. After a long pause, a glance around the room and a wry smile, here is what Wade said:
“I don’t want to answer that right now. I’ve got another game to play. I’m focused on the next game.”
Wade is in his 15th season, all but 1½ of those with the Heat. Barring a very unlikely Heat comeback to the young, talented Sixers, the Heat re-acquiring Wade on trade deadline day will be the highlight of a season that will end with a very unsatisfying feeling.
Wade quickly put his stamp on this team and emerged as one of its better players, which tells you why Miami is on the brink of its season coming to an end. His 25-point performance, in which he scored 12 of the Heat’s 19 fourth-quarter points, was the second time this series Wade put this team on his shoulders.
The first time, Game 2 in Philadelphia, Wade had enough help to complete the chore. Saturday was a different story.
“I definitely was trying to lead my team,” Wade said.
Coach Erik Spoelstra has not hesitated to turn to Wade since the future Hall of Famer returned on Feb. 8. Several times, Wade has taken big shots, some potential game-winners in the final seconds. Sometimes they went in and sometimes they didn’t.
Twice in this series, the game was in Wade’s hand. He was able to deliver with 28 points, including a steal and dunk after the Sixers climbed to within two points late in the Heat’s Game 2 victory in Philadelphia. And on Saturday, his 25 points on 10-of-22 shooting wasn’t enough.
This despite Wade scoring Miami’s final seven points, all coming in the final 1:45.
“Dwyane’s been in these situations forever,” Spoelstra said. “When their defense tightened up, particularly the last three, four minutes down the stretch he ended up being our best
option to be able to create something for us. We’ve come to know that Dwyane for a long time. As the game gets more intense, the context of the game goes to that level, he becomes more calm.”
Wade acknowledged the Heat are in an uphill fight, and were from the jump in this series. He has referenced several times the Sixers being the No. 3 seed and knows it will take an extraordinary effort Tuesday to keep the Sixers and their fans from celebrating their first playoff series victory in six years on their home court.
“Each individual feels like they lost the game because they turned it over or because we got a bad shot or because we messed up a defensive assignment,” Wade said about the mood in the Heat locker room Saturday. “And ultimately it’s a team thing. We didn’t come out with a win. We didn’t do enough as a group to win the ballgame. We’re going to get back to finding out what it is to try to get better, to get to that point.”