The Miami Heat lost Dwyane Wade early and were dominated by the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-88 on Thursday.
Wade fell victim to a bruised left knee after only 13 minutes of action. This is the same knee that Wade had drained just a few days ago. The positive news for Miami is a bruise should only keep Wade out a minimal amount of time. Structural damage would likely have ended the guard's season.
The loss was Miami's second in a row and comes with only seven games to go in the season. By losing, the Heat are now tied for the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with the Boston Celtics. Entering the contest, Miami held a tie for the seventh spot.
Luol Deng was not 100% himself but he did a fine job regardless. Deng's 17 points were tied for the team-high. The veteran also added eight rebounds which was also a tie for the highest tally on the team.
The man Deng tied in both points and rebounds was Hassan Whiteside. The young center had 17 points and eight rebounds in 27 minutes.
The Heat were out of the game early against LeBron James and the title contending Cavs. Cleveland led the game by 11 at the half and had a massive 19-point lead going into the fourth quarter. All of this damage was done without the services of Kevin Love who was unable to make the start.
The Heat will head to Detroit now for a game against the Pistons on Saturday in what will be the first half of a back-to-back.
