J.J. Barea will not play tonight against the Heat at Target Center because of that strained hamstring.

There's a chance you might not see Dwyane Wade, either.

The Heat superstar worked on the Target Center court long after his team's shootaround this morning and said he's not sure yet if a foot that has been bothering him will allow him to play.

Wade, who hit the winning shot in Charlotte on Wednesday, said he'll try it out this evening and then determine if he can play.

Meanwhile, Barea said he'll give his hamstring another day to deal and then will try practicing fully on it tomorrow before Sunday's game against his former Dallas team.

"If it was later in the season, I think the trainer would say, `Let's try it,' " Barea said. "But it's so early and it's a hamstring. So you just want to be careful.
Wolves center Nikola Pekovic (strained groin) and Malcolm Lee (knee) won't play, either.

That leaves the Wolves with just 10 healthy players, providing something doesn't happen to someone else.

Expect Wayne Ellington to receive meaningful minutes tonight with Barea's out.

Today, btw, is LeBron James' 27th birthday.

He said this morning that the reflective nature of birthdays always get him to play his best on these days.

He said he often has played his best on his birthday and his mother's birthday.

Oh, oh...

"You know when I turned 15 or I turned 9 when I was growing up, it wasn't the best of days on my birthday," he said. "To see where I am today, and to be able to turn 21 and be in the NBA and turn 22 and now turn 27 and be part of this league, it's a testament. I'm very humbled that I am able to be here and I'm very blessed."