Miami ? Dwyane Wade’s health could play a part in Larry Brown’s immediate future.

Wade’s availability for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals between Miami and Detroit tonight still was unknown, but whether the Heat’s leading scorer can play may be a major contributing factor whether Brown will be coaching for the final time.

The winner of tonight’s game advances to the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, while the loser will have the whole summer to wonder what went wrong, and why.

In Brown’s case, he’ll head to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., shortly after the Pistons’ season ends – as soon as Tuesday, or as late as June 24 – to address a medical problem that developed after complications from hip surgery. If surgeons are not able to correct it, Brown plans to retire from coaching.

So there’s a lot riding on Game 7 for both teams, but more so for the 64-year-old coaching nomad than anyone else.

“I told my wife before the game there was a thought (that it might be his last game), because you have so much time it seems before games,” Brown said Sunday before the Pistons traveled to Miami. “So hopefully we can keep playing.”

There was no official update Sunday on whether Wade will be available for the biggest game in franchise history. The team said the situation with Wade’s strained ribcage muscle was “status quo.”

Wade’s agent, Henry Thomas, said the decision to sit out Game 6 was made after Wade consulted with the Heat’s medical staff. Thomas said Wade was “feeling better” Sunday, but it was “too soon to tell” if he would play tonight.

Detroit played its best game of the series in defeating the Heat, 91-66, Saturday night to even the series at three games apiece.

Wade’s teammates couldn’t come close to winning without him in Game 6, finishing with the lowest postseason point total in franchise history.

Detroit coach Larry Brown reacts during the Pistons' 91-66 victory over Miami in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals. Detroit evened the series Saturday in Auburn Hills, Mich., to set up tonight's deciding Game 7 in Miami.

“We didn’t lose the series tonight. We worked hard all year long, won 59 games, for one reason, and that’s to have home court in a Game 7 situation,” Heat guard Damon Jones said after Game 6. “That’s the positive that we have in front of us at this point in time.”

But unless the Heat gets Wade back or finds an easier way to get the ball to Shaquille O’Neal, it’s unlikely there will be any positives by the end of Game 7.

Detroit was able to use ball pressure in the backcourt and different defensive looks in the frontcourt to stifle Miami’s ability to get the ball to O’Neal in the low post. O’Neal shot 11-for-18 and scored a team-high 24 points, but Detroit’s defense kept him from being a bigger offensive focal point.

“That’s what we tried to do, give him different looks, as opposed to always being behind him,” Rasheed Wallace said. “Just try to find a little bit of (double-teaming) early, throw him off, keep him off-balance.”

Saturday night was the first time the Pistons faced elimination from the postseason, and the victory lent credence to Detroit’s growing reputation as a team that plays its best when the stakes are highest.