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Could Dragic’s foot injury in Game 1 of the Finals go down as the turning point of this series? ESPN’s Zach Lowe made a case that his absence essentially put the Heat in an impossible situation:
The Heat gave up a lot to rescue him. The payoff waxed and waned — until this postseason, when Dragic played some of the best basketball of his life.
You felt his absence down the stretch of Game 4. With the Butler-Adebayo fulcrum stymied, Miami searched for offense — mostly leaning on Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro rocketing off picks. The Lakers were ready.
Injury Report
There was a little chatter about point guard Goran Dragic attempting to find a way to play in Game 4, despite his torn plantar fascia. That didn’t happen. Perhaps if Miami had tied up the series on Tuesday we probably would have heard more, but with Miami’s chances growing slimmer it seemed highly unlikely that anything would change as far as Dragic’s Game 5 availability. Indeed, he’s listed as out alongside PG Gabe Vincent.
