Knicks Vs. Heat: Dwyane Wade Returns, Miami Rolls To 99-89 Win

Knicks Vs. Heat Final Score: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade Power Miami To 99-89 Victory

In Dwyane Wade's return to the Miami Heat on Friday night, his team had little trouble dealing with the visiting New York Knicks. Behind dominant performances by Wade and LeBron James, the Heat cruised to a 99-89 win, improving to 14-5 on the season and 8-2 when playing at home. The Knicks, meanwhile, dropped to 7-12 overall.

The Knicks matched the Heat in the early going, ending the first quarter with the score tied 22-22. The Heat entered halftime holding a four-point lead and although the Knicks outscored Miami 23-22 in the third quarter, a big fourth quarter for the home team was more than enough to seal the deal.

James led all scorers with 31 points, also picking up eight rebounds and seven assists. Chris Bosh narrowly missed out on a double-double, scoring 13 points and grabbing nine boards.

Wade's ankle seemed to be feeling fine, as evidenced by his 28 points and five steals. Thanks to some fine camera work folllowing a LeBron dunk, we could also see that the ankle was not an impediment to him getting pumped up about how awesome his team is.

Toney Douglas was the lead scorer for the Knicks, with 16 points. Landry Fields added 14 and Amare Stoudemire contributed 12.

For more on the Knicks, be sure to visit the SB Nation blog Posting And Toasting. For more on the Heat, check out Peninsula Is Mightier. For more on the basketball world in general, be sure to visit SB Nation's NBA page.

Dwyane Wade Injury Update: Heat Guard Will Play Friday Vs. Knicks

And he's back! After two weeks on the shelf with an sprained right ankle, Dwyane Wade will make his return on Friday night as the Miami Heat face the New York Knicks. Wade was dealing with a variety of ailments over the past two weeks, though the ankle was the most significant problem. This photo and video explain why pretty nicely.

After testing his ankle on Wednesday and looking pretty healthy in the process, the Heat announced Wade wasn't quite ready. But he was close, even if the team maintained he would remain out for a while longer.

Dwyane Wade WILL play tonight.

— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) January 27, 2012

Unfortunately, Carmelo Anthony is out for Friday night's game, taking away a bit of the shine of the nationally televised matchup.

Knicks Vs. Heat: Carmelo Anthony On The Bench As Miami Hosts New York

The New York Knicks will be without Carmelo Anthony when they play the Miami Heat on Friday night. Dwyane Wade will be a game-time decision.