South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Dragic out against Knicks with ankle sprain
Goran Dragic is the latest Miami Heat player to be sidelined with an injury.
Dragic was listed as out for their away game against the New York Knicks scheduled for a 1 p.m. tipoff on Sunday at Madison Square Garden due to an ankle injury he sustained in the Heat’s 122-95 win over the Washington Wizards on Friday.
The Slovenian guard sprained his left ankle during the third quarter of Friday’s matchup while guarding Russell Westbrook. He left the game after sustaining the injury, with his X rays returning negative.
Dragic recorded nine points on 4-of-7 shooting, four assists and three rebounds in 22 minutes against the Wizards before the injury.
Friday was his third game back on the floor after missing three consecutive games due to a strained left groin.
“I was trying to contain Westbrook and the leg just — I twisted my ankle,” Dragic said Saturday. “So it swelled up. It hurts right now, so I don’t know how bad it is.”
How long Dragic will be sidelined wasn’t clear as of Saturday afternoon.
The Heat will play the Knicks on Tuesday at AmericanAirlines Arena before embarking on a seven-game, West-Coast road trip that starts against the Houston Rockets on Thursday and ends against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Feb. 22.
“We have made improvement. The thing we need more than anything is time together and that’s what that homestretch was,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of the team’s six-game homestand that ended with a 2-4 record but saw the return of multiple players from injuries or being placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
“That’s what that home stretch was. That was the first time in a long time where we’ve all been in the same meeting rooms, film rooms, practice rooms, shootaround rooms and walkthrough rooms. It’s needed.”
Dragic’s absence from Sunday’s matchup will be another hit to the Heat’s guard depth as they try to find continuity amid their 8-14 start to the season.
Avery Bradley will miss the next three to four weeks of game action with a strained right calf, an injury he suffered against the Wizards on Wednesday.
Dragic (six starts in 17 games) and Bradley (10 appearances) have been key rotation players off the bench for the Heat when they’re available to play.
Bradley was absent from eight games last month after testing positive for COVID19. He also missed the Heat’s games against the Los Angeles Clippers (Jan. 28) and Denver Nuggets (Jan. 30) due to a bruised right knee.
Meyers Leonard will be out for the remainder of the season after getting shoulder surgery last Tuesday.
Dragic’s replaced Tyler Herro in the starting unit on Friday against the Wizards. With Dragic’s absence Sunday, the Heat could return to the Herro, Jimmy Butler, Duncan Robinson, Kelly Olynyk and Bam Adebayo starting lineup that it’s used five times so far this season.
Kendrick Nunn could have a greater role in the rotation after recording 25 points and eight rebounds Friday after not playing in three consecutive games due to coach’s decision.
“I’m pretty comfortable, I think we all are, with any lineup we put out there,” Butler said. “I like hooping with Goran — I do — same with Tyler, though. As long as we win, you can say it was this, you can say it was that. All in all, we’ve just got to find away to keep winning.”
The Heat also listed Moe Harkless (left thigh contusion) and Chris Silva (left hip flexor strain) as out for Sunday’s game. The matchup against the Knicks will be the eight consecutive missed game for Harkless, while Silva’s absence will his ninth consecutive because of his injury.
Butler was listed as probable for Sunday due to a left foot contusion, while Gabe Vincent is probable because of his ongoing right knee soreness.