Miami Heat Guard Goran Dragic Still Trying to Find Answers
Veteran NBA point guard Goran Dragic was the most consistent player in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics. He may have also been the best player in that series. He helped guide the Miami Heat to a 4-2 series win and a berth in the NBA Finals. Dragic played just 15 minutes of Game 1 of the NBA finals because of an injury and hasn’t played since. He’s still seeking answers.
Goran Dragic makes the Miami Heat go
Goran Dragic is the classic case of a player who makes everyone else around him better. He’s not the biggest name on the Miami Heat, but he has the biggest impact. That was made perfectly clear when the Heat upset the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Dragic torched the Celtics in the first two games of the series, allowing the Heat to take a stunning 2-0 lead. At that point, Dragic was averaging 21.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game in the playoffs. He was tremendous as the fifth-seeded Heat downed top-seeded Milwaukee.
In Game 2 against the Celtics, Miami trailed by 17 points in the first half. Dragic led the frantic comeback and topped all scorers with 25 points. He scored nine of those points in a very clutch fourth quarter.
Dragic injured during Game 1 of the NBA Finals
Against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first game of the NBA Finals, the Miami Heat suffered a severe blow. Goran Dragic, their best player in the 2020 playoffs, went down with a foot injury. It was later revealed he had a torn plantar fascia, meaning his availability for the rest of the series was in serious jeopardy.
The Heat knew what that meant to their team. “I, and we, are here for him,” Miami’s Jimmy Butler said about Dragic after Game 1. “We know how much he wants to win, how much he wants to go to war and battle with us. And obviously, we love him for that and we want him out there with us. But whatever the docs tell him to do, that’s what he’s got to do. … He’s got to take care of himself first.”
The Heat were thumped in Game 1, falling 116-98. To make matters worse, Miami was without center Bam Adebayo for Games 2 and 3, but have managed to stay alive and cut the series deficit to 3-2. The teams meet again Sunday night.
Dragic still seeking answers
Goran Dragic desperately wants to be back on the court with his team. Prior to Game 4, he was out there during warmups trying to give it a go. He wasn’t able to play pain-free and the team ruled him out for the game. He didn’t play in Game 5 and will likely face the same status the remainder of the series.
Prior to Game 4, Dragic was emotional, fighting back tears, as he tried to seek answers. “It’s not the easiest thing right now for me to sit down on the sideline and watch my team,” He said, according to Yahoo! Sports. “How they’re battling, how they’re playing well and of course I want to be out there. But yeah, I don’t know. Most of the time I ask myself, I ask the guy above us why it has to happen right now. It’s tough. It’s tough. Try to look at this so everything is with a purpose so we’ll see.”
The team hasn’t officially ruled Dragic out for the series. He’s been listed as “doubtful” ever since the injury. As long as there’s a chance, Dragic will make every attempt to play and see if his question can be answered.
