Heat's Wade playing through sore knee against Pistons

The Miami Heat dodged a major bullet. 

A knee injury that knocked All-Star Dwyane Wade out of Thursday's marquee matchup versus the Cleveland Cavaliers won't force him to miss additional time. Wade is playing through a left knee contusion for Saturday's crucial contest against the Detroit Pistons - welcome news for a Miami team clinging on to eighth place in the Eastern Conference. 

The Heat enter Saturday a half-game ahead of the ninth-place Boston Celtics, and 1.5 games up on the Indiana Pacers with seven regular season contests remaining.

Miami is no shoo-in to extend its playoff streak to seven consecutive seasons, but a resurgent Wade is doing his best to make sure his team gets in. Wade's averaging 23.3 points over his last 16 games, topping 30-plus points four times over that stretch, including a 40-point performance. 

The Heat complete a back-to-back Sunday against the Pacers before a three-game slate next week versus the playoff-hopeful Charlotte Hornets, and then the Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors - both top-four seeds in the East.