Wade could be out several weeks

Wade flew back to Miami on a private plane and was examined by Heat athletic trainer Ron Culp and then met with team physician Dr. Harlan Selesnick to undergo a number of tests.

A course of action has not been determined as Wade is weighing his options, but it’s reported he could be out six weeks. The Miami Herald reports Wade’s options are to have surgery or a six-week rehabilitation period.

The newspaper reports Wade took a second trip to the hospital Thursday afternoon to examine the morning results of an MRI, but the extent of his injury isn’t known.

Wade scored a team-high 27 points and had nine assists, but left Thursday’s game early in the fourth quarter with a left shoulder injury. He was injured when trying to strip Houston’s Shane Battier of the ball and needed to be taken to a local hospital for examination.

Wade, who is averaging 28.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists this season, has scored 20-plus points in 20 consecutive games, a new franchise record. Going into Thursday he led the Heat in scoring for 12 consecutive games. He missed seven games earlier in the year - four due to a sprained ankle and three after having wisdom teeth removed.

Miami, which had to do without superstar center Shaquille O’Neal for a long period already this season, has a 26-28 record. The Heat suffered a 112-100 loss at Dallas on Thursday, and if the season ended now, the defending NBA champions would be the eighth seed in the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.