Tyson Chandler took a much-needed breather on Tuesday.

He said the day off was 'huge' for him in his effort to recover from the flu.

On Wednesday, Chandler said he hopes to be 'close to 100 percent' for Thursday's Game 3 showdown between the Knicks and the Heat.

"I think I'll be close to 100 percent. I think at this point in the year, there probably isn't a player that's 100 percent. I know my energy is going to be way up," said Chandler, who was named Defensive Player of the Year on Wednesday.

Chandler has been dealing with flu-like symptoms for the past five days. He was severely limited by the illness in Game 1 -- he pulled down just three rebounds and had seven turnovers in 21 minutes. He looked a bit more lively in Game 2.

After relaxing on the off-day Tuesday, Chandler said he's starting to feel like himself again.

"(Tuesday's day-off was huge for me because anybody who's battled the flu knows it takes a little while to get over," Chandler said. "I feel a lot more like myself today. I feel a little more lively. I'm still kind of in and out, but I'm looking forward to an intense Game 3 and really feeling like myself out there."

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