Heat list Goran Dragic as doubtful for Game 5 of NBA Finals vs. Lakers
As had been expected, the Miami Heat likely will have to enter Game 5 of the NBA Finals versus the Los Angeles Lakers staring at elimination and without guard Goran Dragic.
ESPN's Malika Andrews reported late Wednesday afternoon that the 34-year-old is listed as doubtful for Friday's contest because of the torn plantar fascia he suffered in the series opener:
Dragic played in only 15 minutes of Game 1 against Los Angeles and hasn't returned since:
There were teases that Dragic could attempt to give it a go for Tuesday's Game 4, which Miami dropped 102-96, but that always felt more like wishful thinking or an act of deception than a reality. The Heat understandably are keeping fingers crossed and hoping for a swift recovery, as Dragic (19.9 PPG) is second behind only Jimmy Butler (22.1 PPG) in scoring among Miami players during the postseason.
As Scott Rafferty wrote for the Association's official website, Dragic could test the injury if it is a mild partial tear:
"In 2013, Joe Johnson suffered a partial tear in Game 2 of the first round of the playoffs and received treatments that allowed him to play in every game of the series, although his statistics declined significantly after the injury.
"In 2009, Eli Manning of the New York Giants suffered a similar injury in Week 4 of the regular season and did not have to miss any games."
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