Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic have been ruled doubtful by the Miami Heat for Game 2 of the NBA Finals, putting them in a tough position as they try and bounce back from a demoralizing Game 1 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Dragic’s injury was the most serious, but despite suffering a torn left plantar fascia, Miami has not ruled him out for the series. Meanwhile, Adebayo suffered a shoulder sprain in the third quarter and left the game. X-rays came back negative for a fracture.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said that it will be up to the rest of the team to step up in Adebayo and Dragic’s absence, emphasizing that the team has relied on its depth to get to this point.
“At this point, it’s all hands on deck,” Spoelstra said. “And it’s not like the guys that were potentially sliding into the rotation haven’t played before; these guys have confidence and have played big roles for us all year long. Our depth has been one of our biggest strengths. It’s not just coach-speak; we’ve utilized our depth all year long.”
Fortunately for Miami, it looks like Jimmy Butler will be available to play Game 2 despite turning his left ankle at the end of the first half. Butler played well in Game 1, but without Dragic and Adebayo, there will be even more pressure on him to keep the series from getting out of hand for the Heat.
