Subscribe
Follow Us
Miami Heat stars Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic know that Game 2 of the NBA Finals is a must-win contest, which is why they were ready and willing to push their respected injuries to the limit and play.
According to head coach Erik Spoelstra, both players wanted to suit up for action ahead of Friday night's game, per ESPN's Rachel Nichols.
Erik Spoelstra on neither Bam nor Goran playing Game 2: “I had to play the role of not just head coach but a parent the past 24 hours. These guys are really amazing…they were both lobbying to play and we ultimately had to take the decision out of their hands for tonight.”
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) October 2, 2020
Bam Adebayo suffered a shoulder injury in Game 1 against the Los Angeles Lakers. In his 21 minutes of action, he only managed to score eight points on 2-for-8 shooting from the field along with four rebounds. The Heat had long succumbed to the Lakers' comeback prior to Adebayo's injury.
What made matters worse was watching guard Goran Dragic also go down with a torn plantar fascia. While Adebayo can possibly make a return to action in Game 3, Dragic's injury is a little more complicated.
Some players have been able to play through a torn plantar fascia, while others have missed weeks of action. With that in mind, there is a possibility that Dragic could miss the remainder of the series.
Jimmy Butler basically guaranteed a win for the Heat in Game 2, but that was before the official news of his teammates' injuries was revealed. Now, Butler will have to put up a legendary Game 2 performance to keep the south Beach franchise in the game and walk away with a win.
For the Lakers, however, the paint will be wide open for majority of Game 2. Outside of Adebayo, the Heat have no true rim protector who can defend against the likes of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Dwight Howard. Expect most of the Lakers' points to come from attacking the paint in Game 2.
