MIAMI - The last time Dwyane Wade played in an NBA Finals game, he needed fluid drained from his left knee and eight hours of intense game-day therapy just to get into uniform. The Miami Heat guard later described it in a single word. "Hell," Wade said. It was also worth it, after he scored 23 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and hoisted his third Larry OBrien Trophy. Now, unlike last year, Wade is not dealing with any injuries heading into the Miamis finals rematch against the San Antonio Spurs. At 32 years old and with 866 NBA games already on his playing odometer, Wade still deals with plenty of aches and pains, good days and bad days, and basically has a standing appointment in the Heat training room. But compared to last seasons NBA Finals, his knees are good as new. "Hes a big-time, huge piece to our puzzle," four-time NBA MVP and Heat star LeBron James said. "To have him out there in the groove that hes in right now, its going to help us." The Heat are looking to win their third straight title and Wade is on the cusp of joining a list of all-time NBA greats. There are just seven players with four championships and at least one NBA Finals MVP award on their resumes: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, John Havlicek, Magic Johnson, Shaquille ONeal, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and the Spurs Tim Duncan. Wade could be the eighth person in that club. "We just want to continue to add to what were accomplishing," Wade said. Almost forgotten amid all the memories of Wade limping about during last years playoffs — he whacked what was his "good" knee at this time last year, the surgically repaired left one, in a collision with the Spurs Manu Ginobili during Game 6 of the finals — is he had big games when Miami needed him. Through his first 14 games of the 2013 playoffs, Wade was averaging 13.6 points. In the final eight games of that post-season run, starting with Game 7 against Indiana, he averaged 19.8 points. And in the last four games of the finals, he averaged 23.5 points against the Spurs to close the series. As his knees got worse, Wade seemed to get better. "He still found a way last year," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "He really did. He had some of his biggest games not only in the finals, but Game 7, we didnt think necessarily he was going to even play that game in the Eastern Conference finals." This year, the Heat tried to leave nothing to chance with Wades health. The so-called maintenance plan for Wade — limiting his minutes to save his knees — kicked in on the second night of the regular season. He wound up missing 28 games in all, mostly because of that rest-and-rehab scheme, to ensure that he would be good to go in the playoffs. The results cant be argued. Wade is averaging 18.7 points on 52 per cent shooting, Miami is 12-3 in the playoffs and when getting more than three days rest — like the Heat will have before Game 1 in San Antonio on Thursday night — the perennial All-Star has had games of 23, 14, 27 and 23 points on a combined 60 per cent shooting. "Dwyane is playing great," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Tuesday. "He looks a lot more spry and ready to go then he did last year in the finals." Maybe the biggest payoff of the regular-season maintenance plan has been how Wade has closed games in this post-season. Wade is shooting 56 per cent in fourth quarters during the playoffs, the best clip of his career and the best percentage of any guard with more than 30 shots in the final period of post-season games this season. San Antonios Danny Green is second on that list, shooting just under 49 per cent. Wade doesnt like talking about his place in history. But he knows what rarefied air he would be entering with a fourth title run. "I think weve all put ourselves in great situations, and were just going to continue to try to enjoy this moment that were in because its an amazing moment," Wade said. "Its something that, for a lifetime, is going to fulfil us as athletes. Even when we cant play this game, were going to always be able to talk about this." And now, when talking about his health, Wade has another one-word answer: "Better." Patriots Jerseys 2020 .9 million deal Thursday. The 25-year McGinn had 19 goals and 19 assists in 79 games last season in helping the Avalanche tie a franchise record with 52 wins. Cheap Patriots Jerseys . Warren made six birdies and a bogey for a 5-under total of 139 to sit one shot ahead of Felipe Aguilar of Chile, who carded a 69. 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The Australian did just that on Sunday, earning his first PGA Tour win in spectacular fashion -- and changing his immediate travel plans in the process. Jones, who began the day six shots off the lead, shot a final-round 66 and ended the tournament 15 under to earn his first trip to the Masters with the dramatic win over Matt Kuchar. He earned nearly $1.2 million for the win, also making amends for a disastrous missed putt last September that appeared destined to keep him from playing at Augusta National. Destiny, however, had other plans for the 33-year-old who played collegiately at Arizona State. "Going to Augusta is amazing," Jones said. "The win means everything to me right now because thats what we play for is to win. To have Augusta as a reward for that win is amazing." In September, Jones lipped out an 8-foot birdie putt on the last hole of the BMW Championship -- a putt that would have earned him a trip to next weeks Masters by sending him to the Tour Championship. Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., was the top Canadian. He shot a final round of 2-under 70 to finish the tournament tied for 19th at 5 under. Calgarys Stephen Ames was the only other Canadian to make the cut. He shot 4-over 76 Sunday and finished tied for 74th. After briefly tying Kuchar in the middle of the round on Sunday, Jones chances at redemption for last year appeared finished after he bogeyed the next-to-last hole in regulation. The setback left Jones at 14 under, two shots back of Kuchar. However, Jones -- in the first of his two memorable moments on the 18th -- rolled in a 46-foot putt for birdie. That pulled the Australian within one shot of Kuchar, who was watching his closest challenger from the tee. "I was going to three-putt before I left it short," Jones said. "I didnt care about finishing second or third or fourth; it didnt matter. I was only trying to get the win." Kuchar went on to bogey the final hole of regulation after sending his second shot into the water. That set the stage for the playoff in the soggy conditions at the Golf Club of Houston. Jones sent his tee shot on the first hole of the playoff into the right fairway bunker. He then landed just short of the greenside bunker with his second shot, while Kuchar found the bunker from the fairway. It was the second straight miss of the 18th green from thee fairway for Kuchar, who sent his fairway metal on the 72nd hole into the water before recovering to make bogey and reach the playoff.dddddddddddd Jones didnt leave Kuchar any room for error in the playoff, sending his chip over the greenside bunker and watching as it rolled in -- causing a roar from the gallery and leaving Jones standing with his arm raised in celebration. "I walked up there and told my caddy I was going to chip it in," Jones said. "... You dont know if its going to lip out, low or high, but when I saw it disappear its probably the happiest Ive been on the golf course." Jones is the second straight Australian to win on the PGA Tour, following Steven Bowditchs win at the Texas Open last week. It was in San Antonio that Kuchar struggled to a final-round 75 while playing in the final pairing with Bowditch. The American began Sunday with a four-shot lead over Sergio Garcia and Cameron Tringale, but he bogeyed the first hole on his way to a disappointing even-par 72 and bitter ending. Kuchar had a chance to match Jones chip-in, but his bunker shot came up short. "Certainly fantastic stuff (by Jones) to birdie 18 twice," Kuchar said. "Thats probably the hardest hole on the golf course, and for him to put two 3s is pretty impressive stuff." Golfers were sent off in threesomes early Sunday morning for the second day in a row because of the threat of strong storms in the Houston area. The rain, heavy at times, began early during the final pairings round, but the pros finished without any delays. The playoff opening was all that was need for Jones, whose previous best finish on the PGA Tour was a tie for second at last years Greenbrier Classic. It also resulted in an unexpected visit to next weeks Masters, a tournament Jones said he wouldnt visit unless he earned his way there. "I was going home to play with my 2-year-old and 3-week-old," Jones said. "So, bit of a change now that I think theyll be on a plane to Augusta as well. Weve got to find a house." Garcia finished in third at 13 under, while Tringale was fourth at 12 under. Rory McIlroy matched the low round of the tournament with a 7-under 65 on Sunday, finishing tied for seventh at 8 under overall. Phil Mickelson, who won the tournament in 2011, was 1 under on Sunday and finished 7 under overall in a tie for 12th -- a week after he was forced to withdraw from the Texas Open because of a muscle pull in his right side. ' ' '