Heat to sit James, Bosh

Apr 14, 2014 - 10:37 PM Washington, DC (SportsNetwork.com) - Miami Heat stars LeBron James and Chris Bosh will not suit up for Monday's game against the Washington Wizards to give both players some rest prior to the upcoming NBA Playoffs.

The decision to sit the two All-Stars was made with the Heat a longshot to capture the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed. Though Miami trails Indiana by only a half-game with the Heat having two to play in the regular season, the Pacers own the tiebreaker and need only to win at also-ran Orlando on Wednesday to secure the top spot.

Bosh has appeared in all but one of the Heat's 80 games this season, while James will be inactive for only the fourth time in 2013-14. The four-time league MVP has recently been bothered by a sprained ankle he originally sustained in a Mar. 22 game at New Orleans.

The other member of the Heat's "Big Three", Dwyane Wade, will start against the Wizards. The veteran guard returned from a nine-game absence caused by a hamstring injury in Saturday's 98-85 loss at Atlanta, putting up 24 points in just 23 minutes.