The Los Angeles Lakers physically overwhelmed the Heat in Game 1 of the NBA Finals — and it led to some Miami injuries that could dramatically impact the rest of the series.
Miami Heat starters Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo both had to leave the game with injuries, not to return.
Dragic left the game in the first half not to return with what multiple reports have said is a torn plantar fascia. There is nothing official from the team, but this is a bad sign.
As Jeff Stotts wrote at In Street Clothes, it is possible to play through a torn plantar fascia but it is both very painful and limiting.
Dragic has been able to put pressure on his left foot and hasn't ruled out returning to play in the NBA Finals, source tells ESPN. https://t.co/Ea1LeqncBL
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 1, 2020
If he plays again this series, the Dragic that returns would be a shell of the Dragic that used his quickness to tear apart the Boston defense in the Eastern Conference Finals. Dragic’s ability to blow by his man in isolation and get into the paint helped make Miami’s offense a threat, and without this penetration they floundered against the Lakers’ length. Rookie Tyler Herro got the start in the second half for Miami Wednesday, and for the game he was -35 (tying the All-time NBA record for worst +/- with Kobe Bryant from Game 6 of the 2008 NBA Finals).
Another of the Miami injuries was to starting center Adebayo, who tweaked the shoulder that had bothered him in the Eastern Conference Finals against Miami.
There was no update from the team (as of this writing), but Tim Reynold of the Associated Press wrote Adebayo himself expects to play.
Source says Bam Adebayo intends to play Friday in Game 2. There will be a lot of treatment in his future Thursday.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) October 1, 2020
Adebayo is crucial for the Heat — he is their best defensive rebounder and the guy they will turn to in the crunch to cover Anthony Davis. He struggled against the length and physicality in
Having Dragic and/or Adebayo out will reduce the already-slim margin for error for Miami in this series to almost zero.
“We’re still expecting to win. We still know that we can,” Jimmy Butler said of the Heat mindset after the game. “Like I said earlier, we want [Dragic] out there with us. He’s a big part of what we’re trying to do, but until we can have him back, we got to go out there and we got to fight even harder. We got to try to cover up what he gives us and make up for it. We’re capable of it. We have to be capable of it. Moving forward with or without Goran we better hurry up and tie it up 1-1.”
The NBA continues its fast pace of games in the Bubbe: Game 2 of the NBA Finals is Friday night. Less than 48 hours away