AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Dwyane Wade said Friday morning that he didn’t mean to kick Charlotte’s Ramon Sessions in the groin during Wednesday night’s game.

Regardless of the intent of Wade’s punt to Sessions’ lower region, the NBA suspended him — without pay — for Friday’s game against the Pistons.

Sessions reiterated to reporters in Brooklyn on Friday that he felt Wade’s kick was on purpose.

Sessions was vocal with Wade after it happened, as the two had to be separated. Wade was not called for a foul.

“It was a bang-bang play, one you kind of needed to be there for,” Wade said after Friday’s morning shootaround at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

“It was something that was looked at over video review and can be taken any kind of way. … I’m looking forward to moving on, playing with my team [Saturday night].”

Coach Erik Spoelstra said he and the Heat “had his back,” and he added that the Heat accepted the league’s suspension although it didn’t agree with it.

The Heat released a statement to the South Florida media covering the team Friday afternoon, basically saying it felt the suspension was unfair based on Wade’s past.

“In his 10 years in the league, Dwyane has never been suspended,” the statement read, “and has been an exemplary player and positive influence to his teammates and fans, and we have been honored to have him as part of the Miami Heat family.”

Spoelstra said before the statement was released that the Heat is upset with the physical fouls Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh have been subjected to. Miami addressed that in the release, which is available in full at blogs.herald.com/miami_heat.

“Unfortunately,” the statement continued, “[Wade] is the type of player, along with other players on our roster, that defenses take privileges with.”

Said Spoelstra: “We made our statement, and the league knows how we feel about it. We didn’t agree with it. Dwyane’s 10 years in this league and his reputation as being a competitor who doesn’t cross over the line speaks for itself.”

Because of the suspension, Wade wasn’t allowed to be in attendance and instead stayed behind at the team hotel.

“It was a reaction, from my point of view, when Ramon ran up on him,” James said of the play in which Sessions made contact with Wade; Wade responded and created space with a kick.

“I don’t think he intentionally meant to kick him in the groin. I don’t think you do something like that intentionally and hit him right where you want to. It was a reaction. D-Wade was trying to protect himself.”

Added Spoelstra: “What we’re getting tired of as an organization are the hits, in particular to Dwyane and LeBron and Chris. That is the game plan against us right now, and those guys thrive on that kind of game plan. They are physical players. But there is an excess of physical fouls against our guys.”

• Bosh said he was feeling better after having his right eye scratched Christmas Day against the Thunder.

Bosh wore a clear contact lens Wednesday — he previously had Lasik surgery and previously wore contacts — but didn’t practice with it Friday.

“You can see where my eye is red. It feels a lot better when [the contact] is in,” Bosh said. “It protects the eye a little.”

•  Mike Miller was back in the starting lineup, as he was in the previous three games Wade missed this season.

•  Ray Allen returned Friday after missing Wednesday’s game against the Bobcats with a shoulder injury.