PORTLAND, Ore. – Dwyane Wade isn't the only member of the Miami Heat who knows the importance of managing his health for the long-haul.
LeBron James missed his first game of the season on Saturday night because of a strained right groin, opting against playing through the injury he suffered the night before because, well, the Heat have a long, long ways to go. James, who has also been dealing with a sore left ankle that he re-aggravated in an overtime loss at Sacramento on Friday night, had an extensive workout on the Moda Center floor before tipoff as he decided whether or not to play. In the end, the grimace that was so prominent on his face with every move told the accurate tale.
James has been incredibly durable during his 11-year career, never missing more than seven games in any one season. His 2012-13 campaign has been as good as any, as he is averaging 25.4 points (59.2% shooting), 6.9 assists and 6.5 rebounds per game while once again being the MVP frontrunner.
James' absence created a role reversal of sorts for Wade, the 31-year-old co-star who has already rested his problematic knees eight times this season as a way to make sure he's at peak health come playoff time but played against Portland. It also took some of the luster off of the clash between conference powers, as the Blazers entered with a 24-5 record that was tied with Indiana for best in the league while the Heat (22-7) were off to a franchise-best start before falling against the Kings.
Big man Chris Andersen (sore back) also didn't play. The slice of good news for the Heat: Ray Allen (knee tendinitis) returned after missing the game against the Kings.
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