<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">At the end of the second quarter, Dwyane Wade was holding his left side and carrying his left leg off the floor. By the end of the fourth quarter, Wade was holding up three fingers to signal a conversion from distance, once again carrying his team to a playoff victory. This time a Wade injury in the postseason wouldn't mean disaster. At least not in this game. Wade sustained a left hip contusion in the first half of Tuesday night's Game 5 against Chicago. But he returned in the second half and finished with 28 points in a 92-78 home win that gave Miami a 3-2 lead in the best-of-7 series, one win from advancing to the second round. Game 6 is in Chicago on Thursday night. ''Tonight we felt a little bit of pressure, and once Dwyane went down it was a shock,'' coach Pat Riley said. ``We all got stunned, but we were able to weather the storm not knowing what was going to happen to him. Strange things happen when you think things are at their worst.'' With 2:41 left in the first half, the air was sucked out of AmericanAirlines Arena as Heat fans flashed back to last season's disastrous ending to the Eastern Conference Finals. That's because Wade landed hard on his left hip, writhed in pain and was helped off the floor by Heat trainer Ron Culp without putting any weight on his left leg. Wade received X-rays on his left hip, and they returned negative, meaning the injury was a left hip contusion, and his return was initially considered questionable. As Heat players returned to the floor before the second half, Wade was not with them, and suddenly the possibility of a first-round exit seemed even more possible, if not probable. The Heat held a tenuous 40-38 lead to start the third quarter, and suddenly the ''swing game'' of the even seven-game series swung drastically in Chicago's favor. ''I kind of knew I would try to come back,'' Wade said. ``I didn't know how effective I would be because I couldn't feel parts of my leg.'' While the Heat began the third quarter, Wade was in the locker room recovering, stretching and receiving a ''shot in the butt'' to help relieve the pain. O'Neal and Antoine Walker managed to keep the Heat close to the Bulls starting the third quarter, but with 7:01 left in the quarter, O'Neal experienced a familiar event, being called for his fourth foul in the third quarter. Just over a minute later, the Heat trailed 55-50, and it was time for Wade to play through pain for the sake of the season. ''I had to come back at that time,'' Wade said. 'I couldn't watch anymore in the locker room. I told Culp, `I'm ready.' '' Wade came back to the court after a timeout at the 5:50 mark in the third to a rousing ovation, though clearly dragging his left leg. Wade was fouled and made two free throws with 3:39 left in the third to tie the score at 55-55, then nailed a jump shot with 2:13 remaining to give the Heat a 57-55 lead. Despite his team's quick turnaround upon his return, Wade didn't see himself staying on the floor for much longer. The pain was too intense. ''The first few minutes were pretty rough on me,'' Wade said. ``I actually told a couple of my teammates I wouldn't be out there for too long.''</div> Source
