The Miami Heat have been on an unexpected tear lately, and Goran Dragic‘s stellar play this season has been a big catalyst for that resurgence. They’re just a half-game out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the East, they’ve won eight of their last 10 games, and they’re currently on a four-game win streak after Saturday night’s victory over the Raptors.
But Dragic will be forced to miss the second game of their back-to-back on Sunday against the Pacers after catching a nasty elbow to the face from Corey Joseph the night before. Basketball’s a contact sport, so it’s not uncommon for guys to end up with a shiner here and there, but Dragic’s eye injury looks like the type of thing that would earn a hair and makeup crew an Academy Award nomination.
This is why Goran Dragic cannot play tonight:; pic.twitter.com/4QTAxGLF2d
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) March 12, 2017
Yikes. The only possible good thing that might come out of this is that, when he returns, he’ll be forced to wear one of those equally-horrifying face-masks. The Heat are just a game-and-a-half behind Indiana and well within striking range for a postseason berth, but they’ll need their shifty point guard back at full ocular capacity here in the season’s stretch run to make that a reality.
