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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida – Bam Adebayo is back for the Miami Heat. Goran Dragic is still waiting.
Adebayo rejoined the lineup for Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, and the Heat made that determination more than an hour before the game. Dragic was ruled out around the same time after he attempted to test his torn left plantar fascia in a warm-up session.
Adebayo had 15 points and seven rebounds in 33 minutes in his first action since Game One, but the Heat lost, 102-96, to fall to a 3-1 hole.
“Physically not 100% yet, but I was moving well and coming back 100%,” Adebayo said.
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The biggest hurdle Adebayo had to overcome in his recovery from a neck strain were certain tests of strength the Heat would put him through in hopes of ensuring he would have a chance to overcome the rigors of a game. Those tests, a person with knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press, proved impossible for Adebayo before Game 2 and could not be completed to the team’s satisfaction before Game 3.
But what Miami had seen was a steady improvement overnight, and there were multiple indicators that Adebayo might be ready for Game Four, like him taking the court before Game 3 on Sunday for some light shots, then the team’s decision on Monday to upgrade from doubtful to questionable.
“He went through all the protocols with his mobility and strength, and I thought he was great considering he hasn’t played in a week or done nothing but rehab,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “But he is the heart and soul of who we are. So it was great to have him back there, and I no longer have to deal with him trying to stare into a hole. “
Before these finals, Adebayo had missed just one game through injury – a sprained ankle cost him an appearance in his rookie season, when he also sat down once for personal reasons and 11 times by coach decision. He played in all 82 Heat games last season and their first 72 this season, and he was left out of the 73rd and final game to rest because it didn’t make sense for Miami in terms of qualifying or playoff matchup.
“I don’t miss the games,” Adebayo said on Monday. “That’s not me. That’s not how I’m built. I want to play. I’ve always been that way. I always had the thrill of putting on that uniform and going out to play.
He’s been playing with a shoulder problem for part of this postseason, but his neck has been the concern during the final.
Dragic has not played since he tore his plantar fascia in the first half of Game One of the series against the Lakers. He made a few shots before the game, but his training ended abruptly after he tried to move laterally while protecting Heat assistant coach Chris Quinn.
Dragic was Miami’s second leading scorer in the regular season behind Jimmy Butler, averaging 16.2 points off the bench. Adebayo averaged 15.9 points and 10.2 rebounds in his first All-Star season.
In the playoffs, both rose numbers: Dragic became the starting point guard and averaged 19.9 points while Adebayo entered Tuesday averaging 17.8 points and 10.9 rebounds.
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