Miami Heat point guard Goran Dragic has desperately tried to return from a torn left plantar fascia suffered in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, but to no avail.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Dragic will miss Game 5 on Friday as the Heat attempt to stave off elimination.

Dragic's absence has been notable throughout the course of the series.

The 34-year-old had been the team's leading scorer entering the Finals—and one of Miami's best playmakers in pick-and-roll with big man Bam Adebayo.

But the Heat have struggled to make up for Dragic's lost production. Tyler Herro has been inconsistent throughout the course of the 2020 NBA Finals, and shooting guard Duncan Robinson has struggled to hunt shots from the perimeter.

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Miami's woes have clearly been weighing heavily on Dragic. He attempted to warm up ahead of Game 4 in the hopes he might be able to play on the injured left foot, but it has proven too difficult for the veteran.

The Heat were always going to face a tough uphill climb, with or without Dragic on the floor.

Miami once again did a good job of containing Anthony Davis for most of Game 4, but the Lakers countered by forcing someone other than Jimmy Butler to shoulder the Heat's scoring load. As a result, the Lakers took a 3-1 series lead, and are now on the cusp of their first NBA championship since 2010.

However, the Heat are not yet out of the series. Butler has been insistent in his belief the team can climb back from this deficit, and Miami will try to give Dragic every opportunity to give it another go if the Heat can force a Game 6.