Erik Spoelstra admitted that after Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic learned they won't be able to play for the Miami Heat in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, they were overcome with anguish.
Erik Spoelstra on Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic on not playing Game 3. “I can see the anguish in their eyes. Both of them. But they’re making progress.”
— Marc Berman (@NYPost_Berman) October 4, 2020
Spoelstra will have his hands full once more as he tries to make difficult adjustments in order to have a fighting chance against the assertive Los Angeles Lakers. The Heat find themselves short of a player that possesses a true big man frame outside of Adebayo on their roster. Former Portland Trail Blazer big man Meyers Leonard saw a bit of playing time in Game 3 as Coach Spo experimented with different lineups to match up against Anthony Davis, but it was to no avail.
Bam Adebayo exited Game 1 of the NBA Finals with a shoulder injury that was later revealed as a neck injury. He was key for the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, a series in which he went off for 32 points along with 14 rebounds in Game 6 to close out the series.
Davis finished Game 3 with 32 points while shooting 15-for-20 from the field for the Lakers. He also snagged 14 rebounds. Containing him and Dwight Howard was always going to be a task for the Heat, but without Adebayo, that becomes even more daunting.
Goran Dragic has been a consistent scorer when on the floor, which is something the Heat desperately need ahead of Game 3. The Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson 3-point barrages have ceased in the NBA Finals, leaving Miami without many shooters that can come off screens and knock down open threes. He'll more than likely remain out for the rest of the series with a torn plantar fascia.
To the Heat's credit, the outcome of Game 2 wasn't decided before the second half of the fourth quarter. Through pure determination, they were able to stick with the Lakers for most of the game behind Jimmy Butler's 25 point-performance.
Butler was often passive when he got into the lane and had some easy layups, often making passes back out to shooters that resulted in misses. He'll need to be more aggressive from the start of the game to keep the Heat in it.
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