On the heels (or rims?) of Wednesday’s disappointing performance by the Miami Heat, who lost Game 1 in a 116-98 final score to the Lakers, there’s word that Friday’s 9 p.m. meeting could be an even greater challenge.
The South Florida Sun Sentinel reports that injuries sustained during Wednesday’s game could keep starting point guard Goran Dragic as well as starting center Bam Adebayo off the court.
According to the team, Dragic tore his left plantar fascia, while Adebayo is recovering from a neck strain. For those reasons, Heat officials don’t think the pair will be in Game 2 on Friday.
“We’ll just have to see who’s available and make the adjustments accordingly,” coach Erik Spoelstra explained Thursday.
INJURY UPDATE: Goran Dragic (left foot torn plantar fascia) is listed as doubtful to play in tomorrow's #NBAFinals Game 2 vs the Lakers.
Bam Adebayo is also listed as doubtful after a MRI revealed a neck strain (left side).
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) October 1, 2020
As far as Dragic’s injury goes, teammate Jimmy Butler says, “You can hear that pain in his voice, of him feeling like that he may have let us down.”
“He’s carried us to this point, and it’s only our duty to pay that back to him right now,” Butler went on to say.
Could the Heat “bounce back?”