LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — A night that started with a glimmer of formidable basketball quickly spun out of control for the Miami Heat, who gave up a 13-point first-quarter lead in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Lakers before losing Goran Dragic to a left foot injury and Bam Adebayo to a shoulder strain.
A league source told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that Dragic sustained a plantar tear in his left foot.
Dragic appeared to injure his left leg during the second quarter of the 116-98 loss while driving against Rajon Rondo, but he didn’t exit the game immediately. According to ESPN’s Rachel Nichols, Dragic left the locker room after halftime and was nearly at the entrance to the court before a team staffer stopped him. The 34-year-old guard then went back to the locker room and did not return.
“I know he’s as tough as anybody, and it’s the Finals,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Dragic after the game. “But I don’t have an update on his foot right now.”
With just over 6 minutes left in the third quarter, Adebayo exited, clutching his shoulder. He was briefly examined on the sideline before heading to the locker room with Dr. Harlan Selesnick, the team’s physician. Adebayo had X-rays and they were negative, Miami said.
Spoelstra said Adebayo will be reevaluated on Thursday.
This isn’t the first upper body injury the 23-year-old Adebayo has sustained this postseason. He hurt his shoulder after getting tangled up with Boston Celtics guard Jayson Tatum in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals. After that game, Adebayo said he was “good.”
Spoelstra added then that the injury was “a little bit of everything” — including Adebayo’s shoulder, arm and wrist. After Wednesday’s loss, Spoelstra said that he didn’t know whether Adebayo’s injury was new or an aggravation of a previous ailment.
Dragic led the Heat in scoring in the first round of the 2020 playoffs. Adebayo led them in scoring in the conference finals. Without the pair, the Heat suffered in Game 1 against the Lakers.
“We’re better than we showed tonight,” Spoelstra said.
ESPN’s Nick Friedell contributed to this report.
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