Dragic suffers torn plantar fascia in Game 1 of Finals, Bam injures shoulder. Statuses unclear

Goran Dragic’s first trip to the NBA Finals might have lasted all of 15 minutes.

The guard suffered a torn left plantar fascia in his left foot in Game 1 of the 2020 NBA Finals, a source told the Miami Herald, and his status for the remainder of the Miami Heat’s series against the Los Angeles Lakers is in jeopardy. Dragic did, however, exit the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex following the game Wednesday without a boot and without seriously favoring either leg, Yahoo Sports reported, and he isn’t ruling out a return at some point.

Bam Adebayo also went down with an injury in a costly Game 1 for the Heat. He strained his left shoulder in the third quarter and did not return. Miami did not have an update on the All-Star post player after the 116-98 loss in Lake Buena Vista, although he has appeared to battle a nagging left arm injury throughout the 2020 NBA playoffs.

“We’ll reevaluate him,” coach Erik Spoelstra said, “and see where we are.”

Dragic, who will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, injured his foot in the second quarter and did not start the second half. Initially, Miami said the 34-year-old Slovenian was doubtful to return, although the Heat eventually ruled him out.

Playing through a torn plantar is not totally unheard of. In the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs, former swingman Joe Johnson played through the same injury for the Brooklyn Nets, receiving an injection in his foot before each game. He struggled, however, and shot just 25.6 percent from three-point range in a seven-game loss to the Chicago Bulls.

Rookie wing Tyler Herro replaced Dragic in the starting lineup for the second half and the Heat was deep into its bench, down more than 20 points, by the time Adebayo left.

Dragic came off the bench for most of the regular season for Miami as the Heat wanted to manage the guard’s minutes following right knee surgery in 2018. Miami reinserted him into the starting lineup at the start of the NBA playoffs, and he emerged as a third star next to All-Star forwards Jimmy Butler and Adebayo, even leading the team in scoring through the first three rounds of the postseason.

Dragic played 15 minutes before exiting, scoring six points on 3-of-8 shooting with three assists and two steals.

The left ankle was an issue for Dragic earlier in the 2020 NBA Bubble, forcing him to miss time during the seeding games in the summer. The issue did not, however, seem to plague him at all throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Dragic and Adebayo weren’t the only Heat players to have injury scares in Game 1 of the Finals. Butler also briefly went down with an apparent left ankle injury, twisting on a drive to the rim. The wing crumpled to the ground and hobbled off the court before Miami finally called a timeout. Butler did not, however, miss any game time, returning to the court to play the final seconds of the second quarter and starting the third quarter for the Heat.

“A little bit sore,” Butler said. “I’ll be OK with some treatment. I’ll get ready to go again. I think I got to be ready to go, so we’ll see how it feels tomorrow, but I’m going to be fine.”