O'Neal: I Don't Mind A Fast-Paced Game

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">DALLAS ? One day before the most significant game in Heat history, Dwyane Wade sat at a podium, box of tissues nearby, and said that despite missing two days of practice because of the remnants of a nasty flu bug, he'll be ready to play tonight.

"I want to get out on the court right now," he said.

Wade practiced Wednesday, boosting the Heat's hopes against Dallas in Game 1 of the NBA Finals at American Airlines Center.

Wade admitted he shouldn't have practiced Sunday, two days after he came off a hospital bed to help the Heat eliminate Detroit in the Eastern Conference finals.

"I think my body wasn't ready for that and it kind of shut me down the next day, totally," he said.

Still, he declared himself ready, and although the Heat still is missing rookie forward Wayne Simien (he's ill, but expected to join the team in Dallas today), everyone seems eager to play.

"I've been anxious the last couple of days," center Shaquille O'Neal said. "I just try not to be too anxious."

Dallas, which comprises perhaps the NBA's best collection of athletes, is expected to push the tempo against the comparatively stationary Heat. The Mavericks' goal is to use guards Jason Terry, Devin Harris and Adrian Griffin along with forwards Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard, Jerry Stackhouse and Keith Van Horn to run the 7-foot-1, 325-pound O'Neal out of the game.

"They're going to probably try to run the big fella and get him in pick-and-roll situations," Heat forward Udonis Haslem said. "But he's seen all that."

And O'Neal claims he can run with Dallas. Plus, even with O'Neal on the court in an up-tempo game, Dallas doesn't gain much advantage with center Erick Dampier or center DeSagana Diop.

"It's not bad for me," O'Neal said of running. "I don't know why people don't think I can run, but you've got to understand when you run and bang, that's to my advantage."

Miami can play an up-tempo game in spurts, and it intends to pick its spots.

"If their perimeter players are either penetrating or going to the glass for second shots we have opportunities," coach Pat Riley said. "Sometimes they don't have the best floor balance, so we'll try to take advantage of what we can, but we're not going to push it."</div>

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