Cook is the Heat's leading three-point shooter, having connected on 42.6 percent of his attempts while averaging 9.8 points off the bench. The Nuggets also will be without some offensive firepower, with perennial All-Star and leading scorer Carmelo Anthony set to miss his first game in an expected month-long recovery from a broken right hand.

An MRI exam performed on Cook's knee did not reveal any structural or ligament damage, coach Erik Spoelstra said after Wednesday's team shootaround at Pepsi Arena.

"He's feeling better, but he wasn't able to run around," Spoelstra said. "It was just a bruise, but where he had the bruise, it's tough to get the swelling out. We can't ice that area."

Cook participated in some light shooting drills Wednesday, but his mobility was limited. Cook will be evaluated again before Friday's game at Sacramento, the second opponent on a seven-game trip.

Cook said he initially feared the worst after he bumped knees with Spurs center Kurt Thomas in the first half of Monday's home loss. But the MRI results delivered some relative good news and sense of relief to Cook, a second-year guard who ranks seventh in the league in three-pointers made and 12th in attempts.

"When I got kneed, I was pretty numb and couldn't feel a lot," Cook said Wednesday. "It was rewarding to know I wasn't [too] hurt, that it was day-to-day. It's tough. But I look forward to being back Friday."

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