The LeBron James departure was a big blow on the Miami Heat, but it was also a moment of awakening for the team hit for its ageing roster after a lacklustre faceoff with the San Antonio Spurs.

The Heat can now go on its way to closure after an exhibition game against the Cleveland Cavaliers -- and James -- held at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, won by the latter on overtime, 122-119, ESPN Go reported.

"There was a certain level of strangeness to it... I think it benefits both teams to get the awkwardness out of the way in the preseason," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, as quoted by the report.

It could help that the match happened before a pro-Heat crowd, where James was even booed Saturday, it added. In an unexpected move, James also embraced former teammates Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers at the conclusion of the game.

That came a day after James said Friday that he was surprised at Chris Bosh and Wade's comments, the former saying his time with James was somehow frustrating and the latter saying he did not have fun the past season, the report noted. The three made up the dreaded triple threat of Miami.

"I like the fact we could get everything out of the way ... Just let everybody see it, so we can move on. As far as seeing LeBron on another team, we're pretty much over that now," said Bosh, who contributed 19 points that evening.

"It was a special moment, competing against my old team ... I didn't get an awkward feeling. I did get a lot of memories coming back. It was definitely great getting to see them," ESPN Go quoted James as saying.

That close fight against what is now touted as a super team in the NBA is a hint that the healing and rebuilding process might be paying off.

According to NBA.com, two of Miami's rookies, James Ennis and Shabazz Napier can be useful to the Heat.

Ennis produces points where he sees the opportunity -- able to adjust midair -- and is willing to pass the ball, it said, also noting his awareness of his skill set and his lapses. Napier, meanwhile, has been showing advanced passing know-how. He is also on assistant coach Dan Craig's Point Guard School, where he will learn to play against shot blockers.

In a new development, Give Me Sport said that Spoelstra cut two players -- guard Reggie Williams and center Chris Johnson -- from the preseason roster, leaving Heat with 18 cagers two weeks before the 2014-2015 NBA regular season. The two had a short stint, signed around the same time last month.

The Heat is set to cut three more players before Oct. 27 to meet the standard of 15 players max, the report said. The remaining players need to perform on Tuesday against the Atlanta Hawks to get their spots.