The Miami Heat have defied expectations throughout the playoffs but they may have to dig even deeper than they expected if they are to win a first NBA title since 2013.
Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers could have hardly gone worse for the Heat, who lost veteran guard Goran Dragic and All-Star big man Bam Adebayo to foot and shoulder injuries respectively, while Jimmy Butler, Miami’s leading scorer in the playoffs, was in clear discomfort after rolling his ankle.
While Butler is expected to play Game 2, the presence of Adebayo and Dragic remains in doubt and there are concerns the latter could be out for the remainder of the series.
It would be a major blow for the Heat, who began the series as the second-biggest underdog in almost two decades, and were blown out 116-98 by the Lakers on Wednesday night.
The Heat All-Star guard rolled his left ankle shortly before halftime and looked to be in clear discomfort as he hobbled off the court. Butler, who leads Miami in scoring in these playoffs with 20.8 points per game, returned for the second half but admitted after the game that his ankle felt far from perfect.
“A little bit sore, I’ll be OK. Some treatment, and get ready to go again,” he said. “I think I gotta be ready to go. We’ll see how it feels tomorrow, but I’m gonna be fine.”
Dragic appeared to injure his left leg as he drove against Rajon Rondo in the second quarter. The veteran guard, the Heat’s second-most prolific scorer in these playoffs with 16.5 points per game, didn’t exit the game immediately but did not return after half-time.
