Dwyane Wade returns to practice for Miami Heat

After missing the Miami Heat’s 2-point victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night as a result of an ankle injury, shooting guard Dwyane Wade returned to practice on Tuesday as a “full participant”.

This is a highly encouraging sign for the Heat, simply because their only long-term concern at the moment (even in the midst of relative “struggles” in the win column) is keeping Wade healthy and fresh for the playoff run. This injury (which was “corrected” to be an achilles strain instead of an ankle ailment) was a new one for the 32-year-old guard, but it was also an odd circumstance given that he played an entire game against the Grizzlies after the reported injury took place against the Boston Celtics last week.

Still, it appears as if Wade is at least likely to take the court for the Eastern Conference’s “prime” match-up between the Heat and the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night, and that is good for everyone involved with the exception of the Pacers. Despite missing a smattering of games this season, Wade has been highly effective (19 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists per game), and the Heat are still incredibly dangerous with him on the floor.

Stay tuned for an official announcement closer to game time, but here is what Wade had to say about the injury via the Heat’s official Twitter account.