MIAMI _ Coach Erik Spoelstra said the reason guard Dion Waiters was not on the Miami Heat bench during Sunday's loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden was due to illness.
Waiters was listed as active, with no mention of illness on the team's injury report or in the box score, where he simply was listed as "DNP _ Coach's Decision."
"He was not feeling well," Spoelstra said, with his attention turned to Wednesday night's game against the San Antonio Spurs at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Waiters, who has been suspended three times by the team this season, has yet to appear in a game during the regular season.
In addition to being away from teammates Sunday, Waiters has rarely been on the court with teammates for layup lines or pregame shooting.
"At home he works out here and he has been working out a little on the road," Spoelstra said.
Unlike Waiters, other Heat players who have been held out or limited in playing time have participated in such pregame sessions on the main arena floor.
"Most of the time he hasn't been feeling well," Spoelstra said, with Waiters having been listed as out five times this season due to illness, most recently with a stomach illness at the Jan. 3 loss to the Orlando Magic at Amway Center.
"We want to get him feeling better," Spoelstra said.
