Heat beat Bucks in injury-marred NBA game

Dwyane Wade scored 30 points to lead Miami to an 87-74 NBA victory over Milwaukee in a game that saw Bucks forward Carlos Delfino stretchered off the court after taking a blow to the head.

Heat center Jermaine O'Neal also departed in the first quarter after hyperextending his right knee.

Delfino's scary injury happened late in the first half. He drove to the basket for a layup, then stumbled and landed face-first on the floor.

Udonis Haslem then jumped up for a rebound and accidentally came down on Delfino's head.

"We're obviously concerned about Carlos," Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. "We'll just keep our fingers crossed, hope he's OK or if there's something wrong, it's very minor and he can be well."

Delfino didn't appear to move as paramedics turned him over on his back and carefully strapped him to a back board.

The team later said Delfino was moving his extremities and was taken to hospital for X-rays and had pain in his head and jaw.

"When the stretcher comes out and they put on a neck brace, it's definitely a disturbing sight," said Bucks center Kurt Thomas, who said he saw a cut on Delfino's chin. "It's definitely a freak accident the way he went down and then Haslem going up for the rebound and he didn't see him underneath. Haslem is not a dirty player or anything like that. Just an unfortunate situation."

Haslem said he didn't realize he had landed on Delfino.

"There was nothing I could do. I couldn't avoid it," Haslem said. "I didn't even know he was under me. I hope he's OK. I talked to Coach Skiles after halftime and he said he was doing OK."

The Bucks were already without center Andrew Bogut with a sore back for the game between the fifth- and sixth-place teams in the Eastern Conference.

The Heat may have suffered a serious blow as well when O'Neal had to be helped off the court after appearing to hurt himself in a non-contact situation.

After he was called for travelling, O'Neal took an awkward step, then fell to the floor.

The team and coaches surrounded O'Neal and a trainer stretched O'Neal's right knee. He walked carefully to the bench, where he stayed to cheer on his teammates.

"He's feeling OK but really none of us will know for sure until we get back to Miami and we re-evaluate," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

The Bucks have now lost two straight while the Heat have won four in a row and 10 of their last 13 to move within a game of Milwaukee in the standings.