Dragic returns to play in Game 6 of Finals. And Lakers make lineup change
Miami Heat veteran guard Goran Dragic made his return in Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
Dragic, who was listed as doubtful for the contest, was inactive for the previous four games after tearing the plantar fascia in his left foot in Game 1 of the championship series. Dragic entered Sunday’s game as a reserve with 1:09 remaining in the first quarter.
Dragic started in each of the previous 16 games he had been available for this postseason.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Dragic before Game 6: “He has still been incredibly involved. You just have to notice on the bench what kind of leader he is. He wants to be out there with his heart and soul, but his body will tell him whether he can do it or not. Either way, he’s going to make an impact.”
Dragic warmed up before Game 4 on Tuesday in an attempt to play despite considerable discomfort from the injury.
Pregame video showed Dragic had trouble moving laterally when trying to defend Heat assistant coach Chris Quinn. Dragic then walked slowly to the bench after coming to the realization it would not be possible to play in Game 4.
“I’m dealing with a lot of pain, so that’s the main concern,” Dragic said Monday. “I don’t want to be a liability there on the floor for my team. I want to be the best that I can be. It’s just, it is what it is.
“They told me that it can change day-to-day. It’s just a matter of comfort, and if I can push off my leg. I do have to admit, it’s better than it was. The injury happened four days ago. We’ll just see how it’s going to react in the near future, and hopefully I will be back.”
Dragic’s only action in the Finals entering Sunday came in Game 1, when he recorded six points and three assists in 15 first-half minutes. He did not play in the second half because of the injury.
The left foot bothered Dragic for a few weeks, but it became much worse in Game 1 of the Finals when he fully tore the plantar fascia.
Dragic, who will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, has been one of the Heat’s most reliable and efficient offensive options this postseason. He entered the Finals averaging a team-high 20.9 points on 45.2 percent shooting, to go with 4.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists during the playoff run.
Dragic entered Sunday with the second-best plus/minus on the Heat’s roster this postseason at plus-77 behind only Adebayo, who is a plus-82.
“It’s not the easiest thing right now for me to sit down on the sideline and watch my team,” Dragic said Monday, “how they are battling, how they are playing well, and of course I want to be out there. But yeah, I don’t know. Most of the times I ask myself, I ask the guy above us why it has to happen right now. It’s tough.”
▪ The Lakers made a change to their starting lineup Sunday. Los Angeles played small in Game 6 by starting 6-5 guard Alex Caruso in place of 6-10 center Dwight Howard alongside Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Danny Green, LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
This Caruso-Pope-Green-James-Davis lineup entered Sunday with a plus/minus of plus-12 in 12 minutes together this postseason. The combination has already been used previously against the Heat in the Finals, but for less than a full minute (plus-2).
This story was originally published October 11, 2020 at 7:05 PM.
