All-star guard Dwyane Wade is considering season-ending surgery to repair his dislocated left shoulder, which would be the biggest loss yet for the Miami Heat during their rocky reign as National Basketball Association champions.

Wade was hurt in Wednesday's 102-112 loss at Houston. He flew home on Thursday in a private plane and was examined at a hospital by team physician Dr Harlan Selesnick, who conducted a battery of tests.

"Wade is presently weighing his treatment options provided to him by the Heat medical staff," the team said in a statement. "Wade still needs to discuss these options with his family and Heat president and head coach Pat Riley, and will then decide what course of action to take."

Regardless of the decision, the Heat's bid to repeat was further weakened. They may be hard-pressed merely to make the playoffs.

The injury stung especially hard because it came in the first game in which Wade, Riley and Shaquille O'Neal have been together since mid-November. The Heat have been plagued by health issues for much of the season, and went into Thursday's NBA finals rematch at Dallas missing their leading scorer. At 26-27, Miami had the eighth-best record in the 15-team Eastern Conference.

The top eight teams in the conference qualify for the playoffs. Only once since 1970 has the defending NBA champion failed to make the playoffs - Chicago in 1999.

"You don't know how this whole thing is going to play out," Riley said. "We'll have to play with a sense of urgency."

O'Neal said he's not yet projecting playoff seedings, but in Wade's absence, he said it's time for him to become more active.

"I'm going to start playing really aggressive. Hopefully I'll get more looks and get more touches and be able to keep everyone involved."

O'Neal, who turns 35 next month, is still rounding into form after returning on January 24 from knee surgery. "We have to keep the big fellow going," forward James Posey said.

Even with O'Neal as another option on offense, Wade leaves a huge void.

The MVP of last season's NBA finals is third in the league in scoring with an average of 28.8 points.

And Wade's absence was felt in Dallas on Thursday, where Dirk Nowitzki had 31 points and 11 rebounds as the Mavericks beat the Heat 112-100 for their 10th straight victory.

O'Neal had 17 points and eight rebounds for the Heat.

In other NBA games, it was: Bulls 84, Cavaliers 78; and Wizards 109, Kings 106.