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Wade's health buoys defending champion Heat against Pacers

The Heat's so-called maintenance program for Dwyane Wade has paid dividends in the postseason.

The Heat's so-called maintenance program for Dwyane Wade has paid dividends in the postseason.

Another championship will undoubtedly make accepting it a lot easier. Wade didn't like it and Spoelstra refused to take any credit for it, but the maintenance plan has worked. Wade looks sharp, fresh and with no back-to-backs in the playoffs and a player-friendly three days off between Game 2 and 3 of the Eastern Conference finals, its likely he will stay that way. Indiana's Lance Stephenson, Wade's new nemesis, said recently that part of his job during this series was to run Wade ragged, to make his knee "flare up" and knock him out of the game. The way Wade looks, don't count on it.