Miami Heat Guard Goran Dredic and Big Man Balm Adebayo are both listed as suspects for Game 2 of the NBA Finals, it was revealed Thursday.
Drake has a plantar fascia in his left leg, while an MRI for Adebayo took a neck strain after a 116-98 defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 on Wednesday.
Heat all-star swingman Jimmy Butler, who turned his left ankle in the first half Wednesday night, was wrapped around his left ankle on Thursday. He said he would be ready for the Best Seven Series Game 2 on Friday (9 a.m. ET, ABC).
“At the moment, it’s all on the deck,” Heat coach Eric Spolestra said Thursday. “And he’s not like the boys who haven’t played before on potential route rotation; these guys have confidence and he’s played big roles for us all year. Our depth has been our biggest strength. He’s not just a coach. We have used our depth throughout the year.
“The other advantage of all this is that we live in this bubble with extra training camp, and everyone has got a very good job, regardless of whether they’ve got big time minutes in this playoff series. We’ll have it right now. Tomorrow. See who’s available and make adjustments accordingly. “
Average during the postseason.8.8. Adebayo, who scored points and a 10.9 rebound, was out in the third quarter with more than six minutes left. Heat said the side was inspected shortly before returning to the locker room for X-rays.
He lost 1 game and played 21 minutes, gaining only eight points and four rebounds.
On Thursday, Spoilestra said it was a “separate injury” to Adebayo in the Eastern Conference finals. Adebayo is dealing with left shoulder / wrist issues after he became entangled with Boston Celtics guard Jason Tatum in Game 4 of the series.
Drake had just six points and three assists in 15 minutes on Wednesday, well below his average of 19.9 points per game per game.
He suffered an injury during the second quarter while driving against Rajon Rondo, but he did not immediately get out of the game. According to ESPN’s Rachel Nichols, Dragic left the locker room halfway through and was at the entrance to the court before team staff stopped him. The 34-year-old guard then returned to the locker room and did not return.
Its position is unclear for the rest of the series.
“I know it’s as tough as anyone and it’s the final,” Spolestra said of Dragic after Game 1.
Butler, who finished in Game 1 with 23 points and five assists, said he expects his injured group to perform better than moving forward. He swam awkward land while trying to score on Anthony Davis and got out in the second quarter after an ankle injury. Butler then felt a bit blocked as he tried to lead the heat’s comeback attempt.
ESPN’s Malika Andrews and Nick Friedel contributed to this report.
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