Aching knee feeling good enough for Wade to be active for Heat in Game 4 against Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks' Monta Ellis, right, and Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade battle for a loose ball during the first half of Game 3 in their first-round NBA basketball playoff series on Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) (The Associated Press)

Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade, left, knocks the ball away from Milwaukee Bucks' Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (12) during the second half of Game 3 in their first-round NBA basketball playoff series on Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) (The Associated Press)

MILWAUKEE – Dwyane Wade won't start Game 4 on Sunday against the Milwaukee Bucks but he is eligible to play.

The Miami Heat star was replaced in the starting lineup by Mike Miller. Coach Erik Spoelstra included him in the list of active players, however, making Juwan Howard and Jarvis Varnado inactive instead.

Wade has been getting extensive treatment the past two days for three bone bruises around his right knee. It's the same injury that kept him out of six games near the end of the regular season. Though Miami coach Erik Spoelstra has said Wade is getting better, he was hit hard several times during Miami's 104-91 victory in Game 3 on Thursday night.

The Heat can afford to use Wade sparingly. They need only one more victory to finish off the Bucks, and no team has ever overcome a 3-0 deficit to win a series in the NBA playoffs.