MILWAUKEE, Wis.—

   The tag-team approach is back. And now no one is talking about LeBron James or Dwyane Wade being better by themselves. Not when they're playing this well in tandem. Not after these past three games.

   With Wade back from the sprained right ankle that kept him out for six games, James and Wade have regained their common stride in victories against the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Hornets, part of the five-game winning streak the Heat carry into Wednesday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

   "It is at an all-time high right now, honestly," James said of the chemistry between the two. "It is just a chemistry that we have.  Last year was a blueprint for us.  It is not like we look for each other more than others, it kind of just happens.

   "We're two of the fastest guys in the league when it comes to a break and it is kind of pick-your-poison with the defender, either allow me to get a dunk or allow D-Wade to get a dunk. We are two unselfish players. If a guy is open, we pass it."

   There has been plenty of ball movement between the two over the past three games, with nine Wade assists for James baskets and five James assists for Wade baskets.

   Many of those passes have resulted in spectacular plays.

   Mostly it's been Wade-to-James that has provided the ultimate theatrics.

   "If there was one guy that I've thrown the most lobs to in my life, it's been LeBron, from All-Star games, to Olympics, and obviously playing with the Heat," Wade said.

 "I kind of have a feel for when he's coming. I hear him trucking out of the corner of my ear. I see him and he's the kind of guy that you can just throw it up and he'll get it."

   Then Wade gets to witness.

   "He makes you look good," Wade said. "Just trying to reward him for running hard."

   James said he has a similar feel.

   "We both know," he said of the open-court feel for each other, "also knowing the game and knowing what is going on.

    "When a guy like D-Wade has a good rhythm, you have to keep feeding him."

    Right now, the going is particularly good.

     "It is a residual of all these games and that even goes back to last year," coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We played over 100 games and we had those few extra months, we were able to get much more comfortable with each other and get on the same page.

    "Those guys are such high-IQ players, it was a matter of time before they learned how to play off each other."

   Or, in this latest case, re-learned.

   "They understand what our keys to success are: We have to defend. We have to play off misses. And that gives us an opportunity to play out in the open court," Spoelstra said. "They have been very explosive with that."

   Spoelstra said the two can be particularly explosive when he can keep their minutes down, which he did in Monday's rout of the Hornets. That becomes easier with the bench playing well recently, particularly forward Mike Miller.

   "We have depth right now, now that we are healthy," Spoelstra said. "We can take them out and put in other guys to really put the pressure on."

On the outs

    The last time the Heat played the Bucks, veteran swingman Stephen Jackson was coming off a one-game benching for failing to make it to the shootaround the previous game against the New York Knicks.

    Now Jackson, the mercurial scorer, is coming off another benching, held out of the Bucks' Monday victory over the Detroit Pistons because of what coach Scott Skiles said was a rotation decision.

   Jackson said Monday was the first time he had been held out of a game when healthy and not being disciplined.

   Factoring in is the recent upgraded play of Bucks guard Shaun Livingston, who previously had a brief stint with the Heat. Livingston has started the past seven games in Milwaukee's backcourt alongside Brandon Jennings.

iwinderman@tribune.com. Follow him at twitter.com/iraheatbeat

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James says chemistry with Wade 'at an all-time high'