Wade going back to Chicago, and bringing some help

More now than ever, Dwyane Wade has a bit of a love-hate relationship with Chicago.

He loves his hometown.

His hometown, well, does not feel the same way. At least, those who root for the Chicago Bulls don't feel the same way.

Games in Chicago still have extra meaning for the Miami Heat guard, and the matchup on Thursday night is particularly significant. When Wade and the Heat visit Derrick Rose and the Bulls, it's a game that could go a long way in the Eastern Conference playoff chase.

Miami entered Wednesday percentage points behind Boston for the East's best record. Chicago started the day 2 1/2 games back, and could sew up the season-series tiebreaker with the Heat - if necessary - with a win on Thursday.

''It's a big game,'' Wade said. ''We know that.''

So this time, he's bringing some extra help.

LeBron James was injured and did not play in the Jan. 15 meeting between the clubs, where Wade nearly stole a Miami win. The Bulls led by as many as 14 before Miami roared back, and when Wade made three 3-pointers in a span of 54 seconds - and appeared to get fouled on one of them - the Heat had a 96-95 lead with 37 ticks remaining.

They wouldn't score again, Kyle Korver's 3-pointer swung momentum back Chicago's way, and the Bulls held on 99-96. Not only was James not there, that was also the game where Heat forward Chris Bosh got tumbled into and fell awkwardly, spraining his left ankle.

A painful night all around.

''I really wanted that game,'' Wade said. ''There's not many games that I necessarily came in and said, 'I want this game.' But I really wanted that game, especially because we were a man down and we had lost a couple in a row at that time. So maybe I wasn't thinking too much about anything. I was just playing basketball and that allowed me to play better.''

The Heat and Bulls - who went head-to-head last summer in the pursuit of Wade, James and Bosh - are remarkably alike in some areas this season.

Miami leads the NBA in field-goal percentage defense, with Chicago second and Boston third. In points allowed, Boston leads the NBA (91.2) with Chicago second (92.4) and Miami sixth (94.1).

Given that, James already expects Thursday to be a grind-it-out sort of night.

''We look forward to the challenge,'' James said. ''We look at the defensive standings, you include Boston and we're all one, two and three in a lot of major categories. It could be an offensive struggle for both teams.''

Miami's Big 3 is healthy this time around. So, too, are the Bulls - Joakim Noah is back for Chicago after missing two months with a torn ligament in his right thumb.

''That's good,'' Bosh said.

The Heat are acutely aware of one of the stats that naysayers like to throw around when discussing Miami's season. Against the NBA's elite this season - for purposes of argument, say that group includes Boston, Chicago, San Antonio, Dallas and the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers - Miami is 1-6.

Winning on Thursday won't completely turn that record around, but it at least will provide some sort of extra cushion over the Bulls in the East.

''We're looking forward to it,'' Bosh said. ''For one, they're one of the best teams in the East, really the league for that matter, and they're playing well. We feel that we dropped a game when we played them in Chicago. We weren't at 100 percent. They weren't at 100 percent. Now it's a different circumstance.''

Thursday opens a daunting 13-game stretch for the Heat - with 12 of those games against legitimate playoff hopefuls.

Over barely more than a three-week span, Miami plays Chicago twice, the new-look New York Knicks on Sunday, Orlando, San Antonio twice, Portland, the Lakers, Memphis, Oklahoma City, Atlanta and Denver. The only game between now and March 19 against a team that already figures to be out of the playoff mix is Friday against Washington.

''There's a lot of teams that are putting themselves in position for this opportunity,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''You've got to respect all of that.''