Oct 15, 2009 10:43 am US/Eastern
Heat Fall To 0-4 In Preseason Play
TULSA, Okla. (CBS4) ―
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Victor Baldizon/NBAE/Getty Images
There are few team sports where one player will mean the difference between wins and losses, but basketball is one of them and that's never more apparent than when Miami Heat superstar Dwyane Wade doesn't play. Wade missed his second straight preseason game on Wednesday night, and not surprisingly, the Miami Heat lost the game.
The Heat lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday 96-91, which drops their overall record in the preseason to 0-4. Kevin Durant scored 18 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Thunder to the victory. Jeff Green chipped in another 25 points to help the Thunder knock off the Heat. Last season, the Thunder was one of the worst teams in the NBA.
"Even though its preseason, we were more poised in the fourth quarter and did what we had to do to get the win," said Durant, who scored 30 points for the second straight preseason game.
Michael Beasley led Miami (0-4) with 24 points, while Daequan Cook scored 14.
The Heat played without star guard Dwyane Wade, who missed his second straight preseason game with a strained muscle in his left rib cage. He suffered the injury a week earlier in an exhibition game against Orlando.
Spoelstra said Wade might play Thursday night when the Heat face the New Orleans Hornets in Kansas City, Mo. Wade dressed Wednesday night and said before the game that if it was a regular-season game, he would likely try to play.
Miami also played without center Jamaal Magliore, who Spoelstra said had a "slightly tweaked" ankle, an injury suffered during a practice. But guard Carlos Arroyo, signed Monday to a one-year contract, made his debut with the Heat but didn't score.
Miami led by as many as 14 points in the first half as Durant picked up his fourth foul and sat out the final 5 1/2 minutes. The Heat led 47-41 at halftime.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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