Updated: December 11, 2012, 7:05 am ET

Trash-talk Fueling Dwayne Wade?

By HOOPSWORLD
Basketball News & NBA Rumors

Dwyane Wade may claim to not know what Charles Barkley is saying but he sure heard what Josh Smith uttered.

“He was talking to me,” Wade said of Smith after his Heat had polished off the Hawks 101-92 in a battle for first place in the Southeast Division. “That was cool. It was all good. He didn’t think I was going to make it. So I had to let him know.”

Wade claimed after Monday’s game he “really didn’t listen to the noise” that is mainly coming from Barkley. But Wade’s teammates disagree, saying Wade, 30, knows quite well about Barkley’s claims that his game is falling off rapidly.

Barkley was critical of Wade during a Nov. 29 TNT broadcast and Wade two days later scored a season-high 34 points against Brooklyn. After Barkley continued to rip Wade last Thursday, Wade has scored 26 points in each of the past two games while shooting 20 of 25.

“The man is shooting 80 percent the last couple of games,” James said. “Come on. That’s crazy. Seriously . . . He’s unbelievable. I do (want Barkley to keep criticizing Wade). I love it. When someone’s not saying stuff about me, I’m glad that somebody finally got off me for a change.”

via Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida

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