If the Miami Heat are to keep their season alive and force a Game 6 in the 2020 NBA Finals, theyโll have to do it without the services of Goran Dragic. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Dragic will once again be unable to play on Friday night, when the team plays the Los Angeles Lakers in a must-win Game 5.
Heat guard Goran Dragic (torn plantar fascia) is missing Game 5 of NBA Finals against the Lakers, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA@Stadium.
Dragic suffered a torn plantar fasciitis during Game 1 of the series, his first career NBA Finals game. While heโs attempted to play in each of the games since then, Dragic has been unable to take the floor, and the Heat have struggled as a result. The team is currently in a 3-1 hole to the Lakers, and while they won one game in his absence, winning this series without him on the floor would be a Herculean effort.
Prior to his getting hurt, Dragic was playing some of the best basketball of his career in the NBAโs Orlando Bubble, averaging 20.9 points, 4.7 assists, and 4.2 rebounds in 34.6 minutes per game with the Heat. In his absence, Miami has inserted rookie guard Tyler Herro into the starting lineup for the past three games, while handing over more minutes to Kendrick Nunn off the bench. And of course, Jimmy Butler has taken on a more ball-dominant role.
There are many ways to paint this picture, but hereโs a small one: On Wednesday, it was Devontae Cacokโs birthday.
The Lakers rookie out of UNC-Wilmington is now 24. One of the teamโs travel party in the bubble, heโs now had his second birthday of this NBA season.
Before the season is over, itโs meaningful to look back at all of the major highs and lows, and take a moment to meditate on what itโs all been building toward. If the Lakers win a championship tonight, it will be a well-earned finish to an absolute marathon, the longest season in NBA history in one of the most challenging years any of us can ever remember:
At that press conference, Pelinka refers to Davis as โa pillar of this franchise for many years,โ even though Davis is only technically under contract for one. Itโs indicative of how the Lakers have given Davis power within the organization โ he and James were among the voices considered when signing free agents and assembling the team.
The Lakers begin their season with a loss to the Clippers as Leonard plays brilliantly at Staples Center (even though the Clippers โhome crowdโ greets him with boos). But after, they roll off a seven-game winning streak, the first of several winning streaks that will come to define their regular season.The Getty fire threatens homes in Los Angeles, including Jamesโ Brentwood estate. He and his family evacuate in the middle of the night and search for a hotel (Davis also evacuates, but is able to return more quickly). James later pays for a taco truck to station by the first respondersโ base camp in appreciation.
On the first day of the new year, former commissioner David Stern dies, rocking the NBA. James, who battled with Stern especially in the 2011 lockout season, compares his influence to Dr. James Naismith, the creator of basketball. The solemn moment belies a Lakers season that quickly gets back on track, as the Lakers power through a number of January opponents โ even winning games without James or Davis on the floor. Howard, who has been a surprise key bench player, sees his contract become guaranteed.
But the threat of COVID-19 which has been encroaching from the sidelines suddenly mounts an ambush: As the league talks about pulling fans out of games, Utahโs Rudy Gobert tests positive for coronavirus prior to a game in Oklahoma City. It drives Adam Silver to immediately suspend the season.
The union and the NBA come to an agreement to resume at Disney World, which many players have doubts about but agree to in order to save the leagueโs season revenue and their own paychecks. Just as the NBA announces the agreement, COVID-19 cases begin spiking in Florida, adding to the anxiety.
The death of George Floyd sets off national protests, of which NBA players become a part. Many players who might otherwise be on the court find themselves more invested than ever in off-court concerns, including racial equity and justice. Starting guard Avery Bradley is at the center of a movement of players questioning if a return to play is distracting to these interests โ he later opts out, one of the most prominent players on a contending team to do so. Howard nearly follows him, but after much meditation announces heโs joining the Lakers in the bubble on CNN.
James is reportedly at the heart of the movement to get players to participate, even as he structures a voting rights initiative to address other off-court issues. On the 22 teams that attend the bubble, most players decide to participate. The Lakers add J.R. Smith, a longtime James teammate, to replace Bradley.
James said afterward that he was fueled by doubters after the Lakers missed the playoffs in his first season in L.A.: โI heard all the conversations and everything that was said about why did I decide to come to L.A โ the reason I came to L.A., it was not about basketball. All those conversations, just naysayers and things of that nature. I understood that, with the season I had last year and my injury, it just gave them more sticks and more wood to throw in the fire to continue to say the things that they would say about me. But it never stopped my journey and never stopped my mindset and never stopped my goal.โ
*****
Now the Lakers have the Heat on the brink and a championship almost in hand. There have been more pages to this season than any one ever before. Itโs time to see how it ends.
โ Kyle Goon
Editorโs note: Thanks for reading the Purple & Bold Lakers newsletter from reporter Kyle Goon, who is among the few reporters with a credential inside the NBA bubble. To receive the newsletter in your inbox, sign up here.
For one year, Chinaโs CCTV suspended showing NBA games.ย That suspension will be lifted tonight ahead of Game 5 of the NBA Finals, according to NBA Insider Shams Charania. This could be a reason why the NBA ratings have been so low.ย I have written previous articles on why the ratings have been lower thanย [โฆ]
The Deets is a weekday morning dose of commentary โ delivered at 7 a.m. โ from sports columnist Dieter Kurtenbach that wraps up everything important in the world of sports and looks forward to another crazy day ahead. I know the NFL wants to expand its footprint. Teams play games on Thursday, Saturday, Sunday,ย andโฆ
HOUSTON โ Rookie Kyle Wright dazzled for six innings in his postseason debut, and the Atlanta Braves rode their superb pitching to beat the Miami Marlins 7-0 Thursday for a three-game sweep and their first trip to the National League Championship Series since 2001. Atlanta had lost eight straight Division Series, including in eachย ofโฆ
On the eve of the coronavirus-delayed free-agent signing period, the Ducks on Thursday traded defenseman Erik Gudbranson and his $4-million salary cap hit for the 2020-21 season to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NHL draft. Free agency opens at 9 a.m. (PDT) Friday, and the Ducks arenโtย expectedโฆ
Lawrence Frank, the Clippersโ president of basketball operations, was named the 2019-20 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year, the league announced Thursday. Itโs not the achievement he or his colleagues were aiming for, but Frankโs fellow NBA team basketball executives voted for him to win the award โ which this season was determined basedย onโฆ
Lawrence Frank, the Clippersโ president of basketball operations, was named the 2019-20 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year, the league announced Thursday.
Itโs not the achievement he or his colleagues were aiming for, but Frankโs fellow NBA team basketball executives voted for him to win the award โ which this season was determined based on regular-season games played through March 11, when the team Frank assembled had a 44-20 record, second-best in the Western Conference, despite using 29 starting lineups in 64 games during that span.
He garnered 10 of 29 first-place votes and earned 61 total points from a panel of team executives who rewarded him for shaping a roster headlined by two-time Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and six-time All-Star Paul George. The Clippers also traded for Marcus Morris Sr. at the trade deadline and re-signed JaMychal Green, Ivica Zubac and Patrick Beverley before the season, all players who proved impactful this season.
On paper, it appeared the Clippers had assembled a squad capable of making good on the goal of winning the franchiseโs first title. But they fell short, relinquishing a 3-1 series lead to the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Last week, the organization and veteran head coach Doc Rivers agreed to part ways. Rivers has since been hired to coach the Philadelphia 76ers while the Clippers are searching for a new coach to lead their team for the first time in seven seasons.
Itโs the first executive of the year award for Frank, who was in his third year as the teamโs president of basketball operations after joining the Clippersโ front office in 2016. Previously, he spent 20 years in the NBA coaching ranks.
โL is a passionate, dedicated, and selfless leader,โ team owner Steve Ballmer said in a news release. โI am proud of the work he and his group are doing, and thrilled his peers feel the same way. This award is a great tribute to the hard work done by the entire front office, including our General Manager Michael Winger, assistant GMs Mark Hughes and Trent Redden, and consultant Jerry West.
โTogether, they have worked to develop every facet of our basketball operations department.โ
Rob Pelinka, the Lakersโ general manager, finished seventh in the voting, with one first-place vote. Oklahoma Cityโs executive vice President and General Manager Sam Presti finished in second in executive of the year voting, with 41 points (four first-place votes), followed by Miami Heat President Pat Riley in third place with 39 points (four first-place votes).
Seeding games played in the bubble at Lake Buena Vista, Florida, didnโt count toward voting for this award or the leagueโs other traditional end-of-season awards.
MIDDLETON โ On the eve of what could be a very big day for the Bruins, the club is at the center of much speculation on both the trade and free agent markets. A name constantly bandied about the last couple of years has been that of goaltender Tuukka Rask. But in his firstย publicโฆ
(Wilmington, MA โ 1/10/13) Goalie Tukka Rask reacts after a puck slips past him during Boston Bruins practice, Thursday, January 10, 2013. Staff photo by Angela Rowlings.
MIDDLETON โ On the eve of what could be a very big day for the Bruins, the club is at the center of much speculation on both the trade and free agent markets. A name constantly bandied about the last couple of years has been that of goaltender Tuukka Rask.
But in his first public comments since departing the Toronto bubble in the first round of the playoff Aug. 15, Rask made it clear that he doesnโt want to go anywhere. And in light of Don Sweeneyโs recent public comments, in which he said that he has โzero reservationsโ about his goaltending tandem of Rask and Jaroslav Halak, heโs not concerned about getting traded.
โI think Sweeney came out and said thatโs not going to happen,โ said Rask in a brief interview with the Herald before golfing in the Shawn Thorntonโs Putts and Punches tournament at Ferncroft Country Club. โI donโt want to play for anybody else but the Bruins.โ
But things can change, especially in this volatile financial climate in which hockey finds itself along with the rest of the business world. Thereโs no telling if a deal comes across Sweeneyโs desk that he must consider.
While the 33-year-old Rask didnโt come out and say heโd simply retire if traded โ a declaration that would effectively squash any deal โ it certainly sounds like any team that might acquire him would not be getting the happiest of campers.
โI donโt see any reason for that,โ said Rask, who does not have full trade protection. โIโve been here for a long time and the organizationโs been so great for me. Weโve built our home in Boston and we call this home. So, yeah, I donโt want to play for anybody else. I think where my headโs at is focusing on next year and then hopefully a couple of more years after that and then pass the torch for the next guy after that. I want to help the organization as much as I can.โ
As far as a possible extension with the Bruins goes, Rask said that discussion hasnโt happened yet.
โThey have so much on their plate right now with the draft and everything, weโre just trying to get the next season going and get back to somewhat normal and then we can talk extension later. I still have one more year left. Thereโs no rush. But like I said, I donโt want to go anywhere else. I want to finish my career here,โ said Rask.
Chances are that none of this trade speculation would be happening had he not left the bubble. But without detailing the emergency that brought him back home to Boston, Rask, the father of three girls, said he has no second thoughts about his decision.
โI got a phone call from my wife and my daughter was in a state that she needed medical attention and she wasnโt doing well. At that point, I had no choice but to go home. Itโs as simple as that,โ said Rask. โIf you get a phone call wherever you are, like I did, itโs a pretty easy decision. What bothered me a little bit was people thinking that I just left because I didnโt like it there. Iโm not going to lie to to you, (the bubble) was awful. But if I didnโt have a reason to leave, I wouldnโt have left, obviously. Thereโs that. But my daughterโs fine now, the familyโs good, and it made me feel good. When I got home, they were happy to have me home and things got back to normal pretty quickly, so I knew that I made the right decision. It had nothing to do with hockey or the bubble. It was just the fact that I had to make that decision and I stand by it.โ
Rask said there wasnโt much thought about returning to the bubble at that point. He would have had to quarantine for two weeks, but he said there was more to it than that.
โThe whole thing was about the unknown,โ said Rask. โItโs different when youโre going away for two weeks and you can tell your daughter that Daddyโs going to be home in two weeks. But if youโre like โlisten, I donโt know when Iโm going to be home,โ if that starts affecting her mental health or physical health, then I donโt think itโs good for anybody. That was that.โ
Despite being recognized as one of the best goalies in the league โ he finished second in Vezina Trophy voting in 2019-20 โ Rask has long been a lightning rod for criticism, whether it be for not delivering a championship, for asking for a two-game leave of absence two years ago, for being ill for the final game of the regular season in 2016, for whatever.
But Rask has always been able to at least seem unaffected by it, and he was not overly concerned about fan reaction when hockey does returns.
โEverybody who has talked to me has been very supportive,โ said Rask. โWeโre professional athletes, but we also have families and weโre normal guys. Itโs such a special time in the world for anybody right now that I donโt think you need to be judged as you normally would be. It doesnโt matter, because I know that I made the right decision and I know my family is well right now, and thatโs all that matters. And any dad or any mother gets the same phone call I did, if they wouldnโt make the same decision I made, then theyโd probably have to live with that consequence. I wouldnโt want to do that. Iโd rather get the chirps or whatnot, but my family knows I made the right decision and thatโs all the matters to me.โ
Meanwhile, the Arizona Coyotes, if they want to trade defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, must do so by Friday, a deadline imposed by the no-movement clause-toting player. The Bโs are one of two teams to whom Ekman-Larsson has agreed to be traded (Vancouver is the other). So far, the ask has been such that no deal has been consummated. Ekman-Larsson has seven years left on a deal that would pay him an average of $8.2 million annually, another major sticking point.
The free agent market is greatly expanded with teams buying out and not qualifying legitimate NHLers. Forwards Andreas Athanasiou and Anthony Duclair have been added to a crop that already included forwards Taylor Hall, Mike Hoffman and Tyler Toffoli and defensemen Alex Pietrangelo and the Bโs very own Torey Krug. It should make for a very interesting weekend.
The Deets is a weekday morning dose of commentary โ delivered at 7 a.m. โ from sports columnist Dieter Kurtenbach that wraps up everything important in the world of sports and looks forward to another crazy day ahead. The Warriors havenโt played since March, and itโs been more than a year since the teamโsย Bigโฆ
TORONTO FC (1) โ NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (0) POST MATCH SUMMARY
SCORING SUMMARY
TFC โ Ayo Akinola 29โ
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
NE โ Tommy McNamara 40โ (caution)
NE โ Henry Kessler 48โ (caution)
NE โ Brandon Bye 63โ (caution)
TFC โ Auro 71โ (caution)
TFC โ Richie Laryea 84โ (caution)
NE โ Teal Bunbury 90โ+3 (caution)
MEDIA NOTES
Alex Bono made his 100th start, earned his club leading 50th win and set a new club record for clean sheets with 29 (all totals in all competitions)
Toronto FC recorded its first win in New England since August 4, 2013
RECORDS
TORONTO FC: 10-2-4 34 PTS.
NEW ENGLAND: 5-4-7 22 PTS.
LINE-UPS
TORONTO FC โ Alex Bono; Richie Laryea, Laurent Ciman, Chris Mavinga, Tony Gallacher (Auro 56โ); Jonathan Osorio (C), Marky Delgado, Nick DeLeon (Liam Fraser 70โ), Pablo Piatti (Omar Gonzalez 85โ), Alejandro Pozuelo; Ayo Akinola (Patrick Mullins 86โ)
Substitutes Not Used: Quentin Westberg, Eriq Zavaleta, Erickson Gallardo, Tsubasa Endoh, Jayden Nelson
NEW ENGLAND โ Matt Turner; Brandon Bye (Kelyn Rowe 68โ), Andrew Farrell, Henry Kessler, DeJuan Jones (Alexander Buttner 80โ); Scott Caldwell (C), Tommy McNamara, Tajon Buchanan, Lee Nguyen (Cristian Penilla 68โ), Diego Fagundez (Teal Bunbury 80โ); Adam Buksa
Substitutes Not Used: Brad Knighton, Michael Mancienne, Antonio Mlinar Delamea, Seth Sinovic, Kekuta Manneh
GREG VANNEY โ HEAD COACH, TORONTO FC
Three wins in a row and unbeaten in six, you must be feeling good about your squad?
โYeah, tonight is a different kind of proud. This is a tough place to play. It hasnโt been friendly to us over the years. And this was a tough game. This was a scrap it out battle for every inch kind of game. You’ve got to protect your goal, protect your box. Youโre fighting for space just to move the ball and youโre trying to break on the counter sometimes. A little different look, but Iโm proud of the guys. They stood strong and resilient and we created some good chances in the transition. I know Ayo when he came off said, โI should have had three.โ But thatโs him being humble and being the kind of worker that we need at the top right now. The release that he was able to give us throughout the game when everybody else was working. Youโve got to win like this, especially in places like this and I thought it was an incredible effort.โ
Can you talk about the job Richie Laryea did on the defensive side?
โThis is a tough game for both fullbacks. Theyโre a team that really gets their fullbacks pushing high. If you donโt get a lot of pressure on the ball early, they get those fullbacks high and there are a lot of decisions to be made. You get put in a lot of one on one situations with the overloads they put on one side and Richie did a phenomenal job of making good decisions, which is showing more of his progression in the position. His ability to close down, get tight to guys and defend one on one, to stand guys up at the right times, I thought he had a very mature performance, and a different kind of performance. Usually, in games he impacts a lot more on the attacking side. Tonight, he showed that he continues to grow on the defensive side. I thought he was excellent.โ
Was there a particular reason for Omar Gonzalez not starting?
โNo, not really. Just a little bit of a rotation. We have to play these games back to back on turf. So, with that being said, I donโt really want to put any of these guys, if I donโt have to, two games in a row on turf, especially with the way these games are coming so fast. So, itโs more of a management choice. I thought Laurent stood strong tonight. He did a great job. He and Chris are a nice pair. They do well on the field. They have such a good relationship on and off the field that they did a nice job. We saw it in the playoffs. I have full confidence in those guys. That gave us a chance for Omar, who has played a ton of minutes through all of these stretches, to catch his breath tonight and it was nice for us to not have to put him on the turf two games in a row.โ
Can you talk about Alex Bono and what kind of teammate he has been?
โYeah, Alex came in the offseason. He went off and trained somewhere and he just gained some experience in that trial. He also gained some perspective. He came back talking about how happy he is to be here, and he saw things from a little different perspective. He just came back ready to work every single day. What Iโve seen is him get back that full level of confidence that he had, that certainty. He has belief, but I think now heโs confident and really believes that he is again back to where he was. I donโt need to document it, but he had a tough stretch, where everybody had a tough stretch in 2018. And I think over the course of this time and a bit at the end of last year, heโs really just found some peace and some confidence again, and assuredness. He looks solid back there. I know there were a couple of crosses heโd like to have back. Thatโs one of his bread and butter strengths and one of the reasons why we thought he would do great in this game, to help us snatch some of those crosses that were hanging up there. But he just looks really assured out there and he has three shutouts, and all three of them were great performances. He continues to compete. Weโve got two good goalkeepers right now. Two goalkeepers I believe are in form and weโre going to try to keep it that way and see where we go.โ
ALEX BONO โ GOALKEEPER, TORONTO FC
Every time youโve been called on youโve done the job, you havenโt let a goal in, how difficult has it been this season?
โYeah, itโs obviously difficult but I just want to start off by thanking this organization. Thanking Toronto FC, thanking the front office and my coaches for allowing me to have the opportunity to play as many games for such an awesome club. This is all I know from a professional standpoint and Iโve learned so much here along the way. Iโve been here for six years now, if you told me that six years down the road I would have started 100 games when I first walked into the training facility, I probably would of thought you were crazy and Iโm so honoured and Iโm so blessed to be part of this organization and so grateful for the opportunity theyโve given me. 100 games is 100 games, whether you get it in three years, four years, six years, itโs 100 games and Iโm obviously very proud and very honoured. It has been a different role for me and all Iโve been focusing on is going in day in and day out training as hard as I can, try to put myself in the best position that when I do get these opportunities that I take them with my full ability because Iโve lived it as much as anyone, you donโt know when the next one is going to come, so for me to be able to take them one at a time. I thought I was a little sloppy today but at the end of the day, itโs another shutout, thatโs a full team shutout, full team effort and Iโm really proud of the game today.โ
What are your thoughts on passing Stefan Frei for most clean sheets in club history?
โIโve played against him a few times and in the limited conversation, he seems like an awesome guy. He was obviously before my time here and heโs a fantastic goalkeeper, so Iโm not going to speak to his tenure at Toronto FC. For me again, Iโm just so incredibly honoured and grateful for the opportunities that have been put in front of me from the team and the organization and the coaching staff. I canโt say enough that it is the guys around me that make my job easy. Youโve seen these last few games that Iโve been playing have really been scrappy games, fights, dog fights from minute one to minute 90 and you canโt keep zeros on the board if all 11 guys arenโt on the same page, so I can say that for every single shutout that weโve accumulated that Iโve been in net for. From that perspective, Iโm not too focused on the individual records, I just want to play games and I want to have fun and I want to win, thatโs all that matters to me. So as long as I get opportunities to do that, Iโm a happy man.โ
Greg said your training stint with a club in England left an impression with you, what impact did it have on you?
โYeah definitely. The first day I went back in the training ground that I got back, I walked in the doors and said weโre so blessed to be part of this Toronto FC organization. The way that this club treats the players, the facilities that we have, all the people that surround us day in and day out all the resources we have as a club and as an organization are simply unmatched and thatโs not just in North America. Granted, it was a Championship club that I was training at and they were fighting to stay in the Championship but itโs still a high level of soccer. For me to come back and walk back into our facilities and see the guys and girls that help us day in and day out from top to bottom itโs just a first-class organization and to be part of it Iโm so incredibly honoured. I enjoyed it, I enjoyed it when I went to train, I learned a lot in the couple weeks I was there but at the end of the day I walked back in the training facility and said this is really really special. I hope that guys that have been other places that come here, obviously notice it. Itโs the one thing I tell the young guys and the one thing that was told to me when I came in was listen it doesnโt get much better than this across the league and that really is the truth, you canโt say enough good things about this organization and the opportunities they provide for us.โ
Itโs what I stand for, itโs how I live and I think thatโs how the world should try to see itself, to impact other peopleโs lives. Hill, who joined the Bucks via a trade in December 2018 and re-signed with the team in the summer of 2019, has brought his outreach mentality to Milwaukee overย [โฆ]
The Lakers arenโt destined to win a championship because Kobe Bryant died. Bryantโs death shook the world, not just the Lakers. Many people โ including players on other teams โ still grieve. But Kobe does mean something special to these Lakers. Playing to honor his memory does inspire them. Whether or not you think theyย [โฆ]
The view from left field 