Dragic, Johnson out of lineup again

MIAMI — Miami Heat guards Goran Dragic and Tyler Johnson both remain out for Friday night’s home game against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Dragic, who will miss his sixth straight game with a right knee injury, practiced on Thursday. However, the Heat are taking a cautious approach by listing the veteran guard as out for Friday’s game.

Johnson, dealing with a strained right hamstring, did not practice on Thursday.

Dragic is close to returning, but Johnson could be out another week, according to a Heat spokesperson.

“They’re doing more work. There’s no update on either one of them,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said following Thursday’s practice. “Doing more work, always a good sign.”

But for now, the Heat will remain without their only true point guard in Dragic and a reserve combo guard in Johnson as they look to make the most of the remaining three games on the homestand before embarking on a sixgame West Coast trip. The Heat (7-13) have lost five of their last six games and eight of 10.

While Spoelstra has downplayed the need of a traditional point guard to back up Dragic based on a bevy of ball handlers at other positions that could fill that void, getting Dragic back could help a team that is 27th in the league in turnovers, averaging 16.1 per game.

“We’ve just got to take care of it,” said Josh Richardson. “Goran comes in, and he doesn’t really turn the ball over much, so we’ve got to try to replicate that. But really, just getting shots on goal is a big thing for us.”

Richardson had five turnovers in Tuesday’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks, while Justise Winslow, handling the ball more with the second team, had six as the Heat committed 20 turnovers.

Dragic has played in only 12 games this season, missing eight.

Winslow is listed as probable for Friday’s game with a right knee contusion. Shooting guard Dion Waiters remains out, recovering from ankle surgery last January.

The Heat’s G League affiliate, Sioux Falls Skyforce, announced on Thursday evening that two-way player Duncan Robinson was transferred back to the Skyforce. He will be available for their game against the Northern Arizona Suns on Friday night.

Defense still the key:

While the Heat have struggled defensively, specifically keeping teams from scoring in transition, Spoelstra is hoping the team can avoid the lapses that have plagued the team lately.

“It’s more of a matter of consistency for us,” Spoelstra said. “There’s some things we’re doing very well, and in the same game, you’ll see some of our best defense and some of our worst. Clearly, we need to tighten that up, and transition defense being at the top of the list.”

Richardson offered his explanation.

“We just zone out. We just go through periods where we’re not doing what we’re supposed to be doing,” he said.

The Heat can’t afford any such letdowns against the Pelicans, who are second in the NBA in points per game (118.5).