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Chris Bosh says Goran Dragic injury altered Heat’s 2020 NBA Finals series vs. Lakers
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- Chris Bosh says Goran Dragic injury altered Heat’s 2020 NBA Finals series vs. Lakers
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Chris Bosh said Goran Dragic 's injury during the 2020 NBA Finals significantly impacted the Miami Heat 's series against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers .
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Speaking on the latest episode of the All the Smoke podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson , the Hall of Famer reflected on Dragic's plantar fascia tear suffered in Game 1 of the Finals inside the NBA's Orlando bubble.
"The toughest part was watching the Heat deal with injuries. Seeing my man Goran Dragic finally get there and not be able to play. That broke my heart man. Not to say they win, but it would definitely have been a different series if he plays. Just to be able to play in the finals, I don't care where they're playing — if it's the finals and the NBA, that's a dream come true. For him not to have that full experience, that was tough. With that said, they still went out there and fought. I know what the message was definitely on both sides but specifically for the Heat," Bosh said.
Bosh continued:
"I know a lot of people were writing them off and really not paying much attention to them but you know, when you get there, you don't get there just to lose. You don't get there to say, 'ah, well good season.' I knew for sure they were going to prepare, they were going to fight until the last man standing and you were going to have to beat those guys. And it happened, but pain is pain. I know they'll be able to get over it and it will make them a better team and to the Lakers, man one down. Let's see if they can keep it going."
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Dragic entered the Finals as Miami's second-leading scorer in the 2020 postseason behind Jimmy Butler III . Across 17 playoff games, he averaged 19.1 points, 4.4 assists, 4.1 rebounds and one steal while shooting 44% from the field and 34.6% from 3-point range in 32.5 minutes per contest.
Chris Bosh says Goran Dragic's injury changed Heat's Finals fate vs. Lakers
© Kim Klement-Imagn Images
The injury limited Dragic to just two brief appearances late in the series. Miami ultimately fell to the Lakers in six games as James secured his fourth NBA championship and fourth Finals MVP.
Despite the setback, the Heat remained competitive throughout the series, highlighted by Butler's 40-point triple-double in Game 3 and a 35-point performance in Game 5 to force a sixth game.
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Miami later returned to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022, losing in seven games to the Boston Celtics . The franchise made another Finals appearance in 2023 but fell to the Denver Nuggets in five games. Dragic was traded to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Kyle Lowry as the Heat reshaped their roster around Butler, Tyler Herro , and Bam Adebayo .
With the Butler-led era now concluded, Miami enters All-Star weekend at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles with a 29-27 record, sitting eighth in the Eastern Conference standings. The Heat have advanced past the play-in tournament in each of the past three seasons and remain in contention for another postseason berth this spring.
Bosh's comments provided perspective on how injuries, particularly Dragic's, shaped Miami's chances against James and the Lakers during the unique bubble Finals.
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