Miami Heat

Miami Heat point guard Goran Dragic is active for Sunday night's Game 6 against the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals, per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Dragic has missed the last four games of the series with a foot injury. 

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Dragic "has been determined to find a way to play in these NBA Finals with plantar fascia tear in his left foot—and source says he's been told the injury can't worsen by playing. Pain has been extreme, and he hadn't been able to put much pressure on foot."

That could limit his effectiveness, though if Dragic feels comfortable enough to play, he'll be a major boost for Miami. He's been phenomenal in the postseason, averaging 19.9 points and 4.6 assists. His ability to attack the basket and facilitate for his teammates gives the Heat another dimension on offense. 

The Heat have managed to go 2-2 without him against the Lakers, transitioning rookie Tyler Herro into the starting lineup. Herro has mostly played well, averaging 16.2 points and 2.8 assists per game in the Finals, though he's also shooting just 37.7 percent from the field. 

Herro will start again Sunday, per Winderman. 

Head coach Erik Spoelstra said before Sunday's game that Dragic has contributed to the Heat in other ways during his injury. 

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra praised Jimmy Butler on Friday night after Butler's impressive performance helped the Heat stave off elimination against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Following Butler's 35-point, 12-rebound, 11-assist triple-double in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Spoelstra said the following, according to ESPN's Malika Andrews: "His will to win is remarkable. Every young player coming into this league should study footage on Jimmy Butler. The definition of a two-way player."

By virtue of their 111-108 win in Game 5, the Heat now trail the series 3-2 and are far from out of it despite the excellent play of Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the NBA Finals and the playoffs as a whole.

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With Spoelstra making the decision to cut his rotation down to just seven players Friday, there was a great deal of physical strain placed on those players, including Butler.

Butler led all players with 47 minutes played, and it showed, as he essentially had to hold himself up at times in the closing seconds of the game.

After the win, Butler explained that he emptied the tank in an attempt to keep his team alive: "I left it all out on the floor along with my guys. And that's how we're gonna have to play from here on out. Like I always say: It's win or win for us."

The 2020 NBA Finals have faced the Heat with many challenges. Guard Goran Dragic hasn't played since Game 1 because of injury, while All-Star center Bam Adebayo missed two games with an injury of his own.

Butler has been the one constant for Miami during the Finals, and if the Heat are going to find a way to come back and win the series against all odds, they will likely need Butler to replicate Fridays' performance two more times.

Butler has been the driving force behind Miami's success throughout the season, but especially during the playoffs. The Heat were underdogs against both the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics, but Butler's play and leadership pushed the Heat past them.

They are even bigger underdogs against a Lakers team led by LeBron and Davis, and while beating that tandem two more times won't be easy, Butler has at least put his team in position to do so.

Supporting cast members like Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn and Duncan Robinson must also step up like they did Friday, though, as Butler can't be expected to do it all on his own.

The Heat clearly still have an uphill climb ahead of them, but if Butler and Co. can find a way to win again in Game 6, the pressure will shift firmly to James and Davis in a Game 7 situation.

Jimmy Butler said Friday the Miami Heat are "built" for the challenges they're facing against the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2020 NBA Finals.

Butler, who delivered several key buckets and clutch free throws late in the Heat's 111-108 Game 5 win to stave off elimination, explained the team's players "live for these moments":

The 31-year-old five-time All-Star finished Game 5 with 35 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, five steals and a block while playing 47 of the 48 minutes. He made all 12 attempts from the free-throw line.

Miami also received a standout performance from Duncan Robinson, who knocked down seven of his 13 three-point attempts en route to a personal playoff high of 26 points.

That's been the story of the team's postseason run. Butler has typically been the rock, but numerous other players have stepped in throughout the playoffs, including Robinson, Goran Dragic, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and others.

The collaborative effort has moved Miami within two wins of the franchise's fourth championship.

Butler and Co. still face an uphill battle against a star-studded Lakers squad led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Los Angeles remains a massive favorite (-900) to win the title, per FanDuel Sportsbook.

The Heat showed Friday night they're not going down without a serious fight, though.  

The Miami Heat came into the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers as underdogs, and find themselves trailing in the series 3-1. It's hard to imagine many people outside of Miami believing the Heat can pull off the comeback. 

But Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra doesn't really care.

"We don't give a s--t what everyone else thinks," he told reporters Thursday. "We are here for a purpose. This is everything we wanted ... an opportunity to compete for a championship against a great team. ... Our guys are in the arena, and that's where we are meant to be."

The Heat are already constructing their version of the "it's us against the world" narrative as they try to get back into this series.

"They're writing us off," star center Bam Adebayo told reporters Thursday. "Everybody's doubting us."

Jimmy Butler said Wednesday that the team's mentality wouldn't change just because they've fallen behind in the series, per Nick Friedell of ESPN:

"We're so comfortable with who we are and how we play that that's what we're going to go out there and do. And we're going to live with the end result. Obviously, we want it to be a win, but we just got to lock in on us knowing that we can control a lot of these things, but our confidence ain't going nowhere. It's going to stay high. I'm going to make sure that it stays high because it's going to have to be at an all-time high to get this next win."

The Heat haven't faced this level of adversity yet in the postseason. They swept the Indiana Pacers, went up 3-0 in their series against the Milwaukee Bucks before winning in five games and were 3-1 up on the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals before winning in six. 

Putting together a comeback against a Los Angeles Lakers team that has the two best players in the series, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and has the size, physicality and defensive prowess to give the Heat major issues will be no small task. For now, the Heat are happy to have an extra day off between contests before Friday's Game 5. 

"I feel like, collectively, we all need two days off. It's not just me, it's not just Goran, but we all need a couple days just to readjust, realign, get some fresh air and get back to the drawing board," Adebayo said, referencing the injuries that kept Adebayo out of two games and Goran Dragic out of three games in this series. 

Spoelstra is confident his team has another gear left in them against the Lakers. 

"We'll respond," he said. "That's not even—that's academic at this point."

Regardless of how things play out for the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, they have positioned themselves as a premier landing spot for talent. 

Per The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor, various front-office executives "believe the Heat have become the league’s top destination" for free agents or players under contract who are unhappy with their current teams:

"Maybe it will be a free agent. Or maybe a player under contract who will seek a trade in 2021, since the Heat have good young players who could be traded in addition to first-round picks in 2025, 2026, and 2027. Keep in mind: Miami emptied the draft pick cupboard to acquire LeBron and Bosh 10 years ago. Who knows what could happen in the coming years with Houston, Indiana, Philadelphia, Washington, or any other team facing a crossroads."

It's unclear which players the Heat might attract as free agents or pursue in trades at this point. 

For instance, O'Connor noted people around the league believe that Bradley Beal is going to "give it a shot" with the Washington Wizards next season with John Wall expected to return from an Achilles injury. 

The biggest name that has been indirectly linked to Miami is Giannis Antetokounmpo. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported last October that the Heat were "focused on keeping their salary books as clean as possible" for the free-agent class of 2021. 

That group could include Antetokounmpo, Paul George, LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard.

Right now, the two biggest names reportedly on the trade block are Victor Oladipo and Chris Paul. Jared Weiss of The Athletic reported on September 27 that Oladipo is "looking to move on this offseason" from the Indiana Pacers. 

Oladipo denied the report while speaking to Fat Joe on Instagram Live (h/t Clutch Points' Dijo Songco): "I'm a Pacer. I can't control the rumors, man. ... All of the ones on the internet, I don't even know where they come from. I'm just in the background, working out, working on my knee, trying to get right for next year."

Per Marc Berman of the New York Post, the Oklahoma City Thunder "are motivated" to trade Paul this offseason. 

Based on how quickly the NBA moves, there could certainly be more marquee names available via trade in the coming months. 

The Heat's run to the Finals has been an excellent showcase for head coach Erik Spoelstra and their young talent. Jimmy Butler is the on-court leader, but Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro have been just as essential to them getting as far as they have in the playoffs. 

Miami has all of the pieces in place that make it an obviously attractive destination for players. It's just up to Pat Riley and the rest of the front office to determine who might fit what the organization's needs and make their best pitch if the right star becomes available.

The Miami Heat fought hard Tuesday but ultimately fell 102-96 to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

The Heat now trail three games to one in the best-of-seven series, and after Game 4, Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra spoke with reporters about the team's expectations and thoughts moving forward:

Battling back from a 3-1 series deficit has proved near-impossible in NBA playoff history, but it's been done 13 times, per Yash Matange of NBA.com.

The Denver Nuggets notably did so twice in this year's playoffs alone when they defeated the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers in the first and second rounds, respectively.

There's also an NBA Finals precedent, as LeBron James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 3-1 comeback against the Golden State Warriors in 2016.

The Heat will have to take down James, now a Laker in his 17th NBA season, in order to match the Cavs' feat.

It won't be easy, but the battle-tested Heat have fought through difficult matchups and adversity just to get this far. They took down the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in five games and held off a gritty Boston Celtics team in the Eastern Conference Finals in six games.

Injuries have beset the Heat in the NBA Finals, with Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic both sitting out Games 2 and 3 and the latter still missing for Game 4.

However, Miami won Game 3 behind a 40-point Jimmy Butler triple-double before just falling short against the Lakers in Game 4.

Game 5 is scheduled for Friday at 9 p.m. ET.

The Miami Heat will be without guard Goran Dragic for Game 4 of the NBA Finals, according to Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic. 

Dragic, who was diagnosed with a torn plantar fascia after Game 1, attempted to warm up on Tuesday before the team made its determination. 

The Los Angeles Lakers lead the series 2-1.

Dragic has been playing some of his best basketball in his fourth postseason appearance. In 16 games leading up to the Finals, the 34-year-old is averaging 19.9 points, 4.6 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting 45 percent from the field with 2.3 three-pointers a night. 

ESPN's Rachel Nichols tweeted video of Dragic pregame attempting agility drills before heading back to the bench to rest. 

The Heat shocked the Lakers in Game 3 with a 115-104 victory to cut the series deficit in half. Jimmy Butler led the way with 40 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds in 45 minutes as Miami found a way to fight through injuries to Dragic and star forward Bam Adebayo (neck).

Adebayo will return for Game 4. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. ET on ABC. 

The Miami Heat are getting a boost as they look to even the 2020 NBA Finals on Tuesday night as Bam Adebayo will return to the court, Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press reported.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski first reported Adebayo was planning to return to the court for Game 4. The center missed the last two games because of a neck strain.

Thanks to a superhuman effort from Jimmy Butler, the Heat were 115-104 winners in Game 3 on Sunday. Butler finished with 40 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds in 45 minutes on the floor.

Although the result gave Miami renewed life, many were left to wonder whether Butler could continue doing it on his own to such an extreme extent. Butler was the third player in Finals history to have a 40-point triple-double, joining LeBron James (2015) and Jerry West (1969). Neither James nor West was victorious in his respective series that year.

Adebayo would provide some much-needed support. He was averaging 17.8 points and 10.9 rebounds in these playoffs prior to his injury.

Still, the Heat will have to keep going without Goran Dragic, who's nursing a foot injury.

Adebayo's recovery might have come too late to make a difference. The Lakers will take a 3-1 lead should they prevail Tuesday night. The Cleveland Cavaliers famously overcame that deficit against the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 Finals, but history wouldn't be on Miami's side if that were the case.

It does not sound as though Goran Dragic will be available for the Miami Heat in Tuesday's Game 4 of the NBA Finals vs. the Los Angeles Lakers, or perhaps anytime soon.   

Dragic told reporters on Monday that he "snapped" his foot when he injured it and that he's day-to-day and a "low percentage" to play in Game 4:

It's unclear if star center Bam Adebayo will be available for Game 4 either, as he told reporters on Monday that he's day-to-day with a neck injury:

Dragic, 34, has been superb in the postseason, averaging 19.9 points and 4.6 assists while shooting 45 percent from the field. His ability to drive to the basket, either finish or kick out to an open teammate and distribute in general have been extremely important for the Heat this postseason. 

Kendrick Nunn was the team's starting point guard through the regular season and was excellent, averaging 15.3 points per game. But he's never found his footing in the Orlando bubble and it was telling that Tyler Herro, and not Nunn, was inserted into the starting lineup in Games 2 and 3. 

Herro has done little to suggest that was the wrong move, averaging 16 points and 2.7 assists in the NBA Finals, though his cold shooting (29 percent from three) has been a concern. But while Herro is a solid facilitator, he doesn't offer the same impact as Dragic. 

It sounds as though the Heat will have to adjust to life without their veteran point guard going forward, barring a change in his injury status. Adebayo seems like he has a solid shot of returning for Game 4, which would provide a major boost against the Lakers' size and physicality, but Dragic may not play again in this series. 

Miami Heat star center Bam Adebayo announced Monday that he is day-to-day with a neck injury. 

"I'm getting better. It's up to the medical staff..." Adebayo said. "I'm trying to get back as quickly as possible. It's really day-to-day. When they say I'm ready to play I'll be out there."

In the wake of the comments, the Heat upgraded Adebayo to questionable for Game 4, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Adebayo revealed he was frustrated being sidelined for Games 2 and 3 of the NBA Finals.

"I don't miss games. That's not me. That's how I'm built. I want to play," he told reporters. "To be in the Finals and the medical staff is telling me I can't play, [head coach Erik Spoelstra] is telling me I can't play, it sucks."

The injury is serious enough that the Heat have remained cautious to this point, however, with Adebayo noting that the neck strain is "near your brain, more serious than tweaking your ankle."

While Adebayo is hoping to be available for Game 4, his teammate Goran Dragic—who also missed Games 2 and 3 with a foot injury—was less optimistic:

The Heat trail the Los Angeles Lakers 2-1 in the NBA Finals in large part due to Jimmy Butler's epic triple-double in Game 3 (40 points, 13 assists, 11 rebounds, two blocks, two steals). Adebayo praised the superstar performance from his teammate. 

"He really put the team on his back and really wanted the win," he told reporters.

"A lot of people don't know about Jimmy, including his teammates," he added. "We don't really see him because he's in his room making Big Face Coffee."

Butler's huge game was enough to steal a win in this series for Miami. But if Adebayo and Dragic can't go again in Game 4, it will be a huge blow for a Miami team that was already the underdog when those two key starters were healthy and available.