Richardson said he initially was very concerned when his back locked up during the third quarter of Wednesday's game in Atlanta. It was the first issue with his back since undergoing season-ending surgery while with the Knicks in 2007.

"I was kind of freaked out by that," he said. "It's been progressing every day since, so I feel pretty good about it.

"Whatever I did, when I landed right there kind of made it go into a spasm. We've been treating it every day around the clock."

He said he remains in some discomfort.

"It's still slight spasms from bending and all that different stuff," he said. "But, like I said, it's been getting a lot better every day."

As for making it back for the next game, he said he would see how practice goes the next two days.

"I really don't have a timetable right now," he said.

--Even with Haslem back, coach Erik Spoelstra opted to start James Jones at small forward for a second consecutive game.

"I like the rotation the way it is," Spoelstra said. "I think it's really brought some balance to our team and, again, I think that second unit really has been tremendous for us. I'd like to keep it that way.

"I think to start games, this gives us a little more of a balance."

--Despite the emergence of Hornets guard Marcus Thornton, Spoelstra reiterated that trading the second-round rights to the rookie for two future second-round picks on draft night was part of a prearranged deal.

"He's having a heck of a stretch right now," Spoelstra said of the LSU product. "He's athletic. He's making plays. He's aggressive."

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I asked him after the game, 'Man, how did you hit that?' " -- Heat guard Dwyane Wade, after teammate Udonis Haslem banked in a twisting jumper for the final points in Sunday's one-point victory over New Orleans.