Miami Heat starters Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic missed their second consecutive Finals game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, but one of them could return to action soon.
Adebayo, who’s been out with a neck injury, has been upgraded to questionable heading into Tuesday’s pivotal Game 4.
The 23-year-old Kentucky product barely missed any action during his first three NBA seasons, which has made it harder for him to watch from the sidelines.
“I’ve only missed one game since my rookie season, so I don’t like missing games,” Adebayo told reporters Monday. “So if you’re wondering if I’m really injured, then there you go, because I’ve only missed one game. I’ve played through bruises. I’ve played through getting beat up.
“But it’s one of those things where it’s like, I make it to my first Finals and it’s like bro, we dream of things like that. It’s been difficult for me mentally because it hurts me that I can’t be out there and help my team, just trying to collect more wins and be on the floor.”
Dragic, meanwhile, is doubtful for Game 4 and wasn’t as optimistic about returning from his foot injury during the championship series. The veteran guard said he played through a torn plantar fascia in his left foot during the previous two playoff rounds, adding that the Heat haven’t given him a timetable for his return.
“I snapped it, so it’s already bad. … I’m dealing with a lot of pain, so that’s the main concern,” the 34-year-old said. “I don’t want to be a liability on the floor for my team. I want to be the best that I can be. … It is what it is.”
Dragic is Miami’s second-leading playoff scorer with 19.9 points per game. Adebayo’s 17.8 points per contest rank third for the Heat.
Miami trails 2-1 in The Finals following its Game 3 win.