By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
September 17, 2017: Goran Dragic scores 35 points (an international career-high) in the win over Serbia in the EuroBasket final as the Slovenian national team caps an undefeated run towards its maiden gold medal in a basketball competition. He is named tournament MVP.
September 17, 2020: Dragic drops nine out of his game-high 25 points in the fourth quarter of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics to lead the Miami Heat to the 2-0 in the series. Miami is now at a two-win distance from the NBA Finals, which will be Dragic’s first if the team advances.
The two games are nothing alike and can’t be compared but Dragic admitted to experiencing an identical kind of sensation.
“It feels exactly the same. Great day,” Dragic said in the post-game presser regarding the three-year anniversary from winning the European championship. “A lot of my friends were texting me back. Congratulate me on this day. I had to go back and look at some highlights. They bring a lot of good memories back.”
It’s safe to assume that reliving that EuroBasket success brought Dragic a bit of extra inspiration, an additional incentive perhaps. Not that he needed it, since he was already performing beautifully in the playoffs where he’s now the Heat‘s top scorer with 22.2 points to go with his 4.6 assists and 4.8 rebounds.
Dragic’s leadership manifested once again down the stretch in Game 2. With the game tied at 95 and three minutes and three minutes remaining, the veteran guard drove to the basket to win the foul and make two out of two free throws that handed the Heat the lead. He then hit a 3-pointer under clock pressure to put his team up by five and a couple of seconds later, he drained the mid-range jumper as Miami went ahead 104 – 98.
For Dragic, it was both assuming responsibility and reading each situation (in the last two cases a mismatch against Celtics center Daniel Theis) to make the optimal play.
“At that moment I want the shot,” Dragic said. “They switch on the pick n’ rolls with Theis and we wanted to exploit that. I felt comfortable with the ball in my hands.”
“It all depends on how are you shooting the ball and how are you making the plays. on the game is going,” Dragic added.
Dragic made it so far in the NBA playoffs only once: In 2010 with the Phoenix Suns. He’s now feeding off the enthusiasm that comes with being close to a trip to a Finals, a joy that is also evident in his game.
“You need to give everything you got but at the same time enjoy this game. Be happy. Have a smile on your face. “I think that this is the biggest reason we play this game,” Dragic said. His Slovenian national team teammate Luka Doncic has cited the “fun factor” as a fuel for his game.
“We know that these are high stakes, these are the East Finals and we all want to do good,” Dragic said. “At the same time, our communication is the key. We tell straight to the face to our teammates or the coach. No grudges, nothing personal. We want to win those games and compete.”
People in Slovenia that want to watch Dragic play live probably have to sip an extra cup of coffee, tea or whatever they’re having to stay up late. Game 2 began at 1:00 AM local time and Game 3 is planned for 2:30 AM.
“Throughout my years, you guys are my best,” Dragic said when asked to send a message to his fans back home. “Today is the day we won the gold medal for the national team. I hope we can bring this trophy back to Slovenia.”