Heat’s Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic out for Game 2 of NBA Finals with injuries
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What Heat need to do to rebound from Game 1 rout
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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo and point guard Goran Dragic won’t play because of injuries in Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday.
Adebayo has a strained neck sustained in Game 1 and is also dealing with a previous shoulder injury. Dragic tore the plantar fascia in his left foot in the series opener. Tyler Herro and Meyers Leonard move into the starting lineup for Miami.
“I had to play the role of not just head coach, but almost of a parent the last 24 hours,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “These two guys are really amazing. Like everybody in our locker room, there’s a real special sense of brotherhood and responsibility. They were both lobbying to play and we ultimately had to take the decision out of their hands for (Game 2).
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“So we have other guys obviously that will get an opportunity tonight and we have learned over the course of really the last three or four months you expect the unexpected. The world has changed and so many things have been thrown at us in the last three or four months, I think our level of grit and perseverance has been tested and proven and it will be again (Friday night).”
Dragic will rest and get treatment on his foot, but his return is dependent on pain tolerance, a person familiar with the injury told USA TODAY Sports. He requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about Dragic’s situation. The injury cannot get worse structurally the person said.
Their losses are devastating for the Heat who will turn to point guard Kendrick Nunn, an All-Rookie performer this season, and big men Kelly Olynyk and Leonard.
Nunn started 67 games and averaged 15.3 points in 29.3 minutes during the regular season. But his playoff numbers have dipped to 4.7 points and 12.4 minutes per game. He scored 18 points off the bench in Game 1 after Dragic left with his injury.
“At this point, it’s all hands on deck, and it’s not like the guys that were potentially sliding into the rotation haven’t played before,” Spoelstra said. “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.”
With that said, the numbers don’t look good without Adebayo and Dragic. In the 428 playoff minutes Adebayo and Dragic shared the court, the Heat outscored opponents by 55 points. In the 98 minutes both were off the court, the Heat were outscored by 42 points, per NBA stats.
Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala must be much better in Game 2 if Miami wants a shot at tying the series.
Follow Jeff Zillgitt on Twitter @JeffZillgitt.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Heat’s Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic out for Game 2 of NBA Finals with injuries