Despite missing two starters, the Heat averted what would have been a disastrous loss Saturday night against the winless New Jersey Nets.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is hopeful a good night of rest and another round of treatment will prevent the team from relying too heavily again on reinforcements.

After missing Saturday's victory against the Nets with a bruised hip, center Jermaine O'Neal said Monday he would play Tuesday against Oklahoma City.

Point guard Mario Chalmers remained uncertain about his status after he sustained a pinched nerve in his right shoulder in the first quarter of Saturday's game.

``It's getting a lot better -- I'm feeling a lot better,'' said Chalmers, who has not missed a game since he opened last season as a rookie starter. ``Right now it's just a lot of resting. I got treatment all morning. I'll keep on doing that and see what happens.''

Whereas Chalmers sat out practice, O'Neal participated in the full workout after three days of inactivity. Reserve Carlos Arroyo, who played a season-high 37 minutes Saturday, likely will start at point guard if Chalmers is not available. Joel Anthony started at center for O'Neal on Saturday.

The Heat struggled on both ends without Chalmers and O'Neal on the court against the Nets. Miami shot a season-low 39 percent from the field and was unable to establish its basic pick-and-roll game. Defensively, the Heat was forced to use a smaller frontcourt and it had problems defending the lane late in the game.

The Heat needed a career-high-tying 28 points from Udonis Haslem and a couple of miraculous threes from Quentin Richardson and Dwyane Wade in the final seconds to get the 81-80 win.

O'Neal, who has averaged 13.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks, said his hip was still sore four days after Cleveland forward LeBron James' knee crashed against his left side during a drive to the basket. The impact hit O'Neal in one of the only places he wasn't wearing protective pads.

``Of all the damn pads I wear, it wasn't one right there,'' said O'Neal, who was fitted Monday for a pad that will protect the front part of his hip. ``I've got thigh [pads], the chest, the back, the sternum. If I take my uniform off, you'd be like, `Dang, he's ready for a football game.' ''

Wade is just ready for a bit of relief. He was already handling an increased load while backup guard Daequan Cook worked his way back from a strained right shoulder.

When Chalmers left early Saturday, Wade took over for stretches at point guard. He played at least 40 minutes for the third time in five games.

``Mario and Dae-Dae, they're going to owe me a lot if they keep missing games and having me play all of their minutes,'' Wade joked Monday before he filmed a Gatorade commercial with a few teammates. ``I'm supposed to play 36 minutes, not 42.''

Injuries have Miami (7-2) limping to the finish of a productive five-game homestand. The Heat has won three of four and would match the franchise's best 10-game start with a win against the Thunder (5-5), which has victories over NBA title contenders San Antonio and Orlando.

``We've had a nice stretch at home,'' Spoelstra said, ``and we have to find a way to make the most of it.''