ATLANTA (AP) — All-Star guard Dwyane Wade missed Miami’s game Friday night against the Atlanta Hawks because of soreness in the back of his left knee, leaving the short-handed Heat without another key player.
Miami also was without center Hassan Whiteside, who is suspended for one game, and All-Star forward Chris Bosh, who is out indefinitely with a blood clot in his leg.
The Heat traded center Chris Andersen and forward Jarnell Stokes this week as it sought to gain more flexibility under the NBA’s salary cap.
Wade described the pain as “just a little uncomfortable.” He said he will have a MRI on the knee on Saturday.
“I gave it a couple days to see if it would go away,” Wade said. “It didn’t, so I just want to go back and get another, second opinion. But it’s nothing I’m overly concerned about. It’s just some soreness I haven’t felt in a while so I just want to make sure everything’s good.”
Wade’s injury left the Heat with nine healthy players.
“Obviously it’s never a good time but if you say there’s a bad time, this is a bad time,” Wade said.
Guard Gerald Green moved into the starting lineup.
Whiteside was suspended one game without pay for throwing an elbow at San Antonio center Boban Marjanovic’s head on Feb. 9.
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AP freelance writer Amy Jinkner-Lloyd contributed to this report.
