Dwyane Wade, Ray Allen and Chris Bosh Could All Miss Game with the Flu

Dwyane Wade will play while Chris Bosh and Ray Allen will not for the Miami Heat on Friday against the Los Angeles Clippers.

According to Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald, Ray Allen, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade are all suffering from the flu, and their statuses were in doubt for Friday's game against the Clippers as a result.

UPDATE: Sunday, Feb. 10, at 1:56 p.m. ET by Brandon Galvin

Great news for Miami fans as the Heat will have Chris Bosh and Ray Allen on the court today when they battle the Los Angeles Lakers, according to South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Ira Winderman.

---End of update---

UPDATE: Friday, Feb. 8, at 6:30 p.m. ET by Mike Hoag

Dwyane Wade will reportedly suit up for the Heat in Friday's night matchup with the Clippers. Bosh and Allen, also suffering from the flu, will not, according to the team's official Twitter account:

The Clippers have been sliding as of late as they have been dealing with their own issues keeping players on the court.

---End of update--- 

To make matters worse for the Heat, Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News reports that the Clippers are "optimistic" they will get Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups back for the game.

Paul has been dealing with a bruised kneecap that has kept him out for 12 of the Clippers' last 14 games. Without Paul, they have gone just 3-7 in their last 10 contests. 

For the Heat, if Allen, Bosh and Wade are unable to go, it is going to be all LeBron, all the time. That's not to say James isn't up to the task of carrying a team by himself. He certainly had enough experience in Cleveland.

That said, Allen, Bosh and Wade comprise nearly 48 percent of the Heat's scoring output this season. They also collectively average nearly 15 rebounds and eight assists per game. 

If Bosh can't go, expect to see a lot of more of Udonis Haslem and Chris Andersen off the bench. If either Wade or Allen is forced to sit out, Mike Miller and James Jones could see some time to help the Heat space the floor. 

While the absence of these players may deprive NBA fans of the marquee matchup they were hoping for, this game still pits the Eastern Conference's best team against a top-three squad from the West. 

Any of these stars missing the game would certainly hurt Miami, but as long as LeBron is in attack mode, this should be a fairly even contest.