Heat PG Kyle Lowry ruled out Game 2 vs. 76ers
Thanks in large part to NBA Sixth Man of the Year award finalist Tyler Herro (and the absence of Joel Embiid), the top-seeded Miami Heat were just fine without starting point guard Kyle Lowry during their Eastern Conference semifinals Game 1 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.
Lowry hasn't played since Game 3 of the Heat's first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks on April 22 due to a hamstring injury and the team announced on Tuesday that they'll be without the six-time All-Star yet again for Game 2 against the Sixers on Wednesday.
Lowry averaged 13.4 points, 7.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals over 63 games during the regular season — his first in South Beach — while posting a .440/.377/.551 shooting line. His scoring average was his lowest since the 2012-2013 campaign (his first with the Toronto Raptors) and his rebounding numbers were his lowest since his final year with the Houston Rockets in 2011-2012, though his 44.0% field goal percentage was his best in five years.
Now 36 and in his 16th NBA season, Lowry averaged only 8.3 points, 5.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 29.7 minutes in his three games during the first-round series against the Hawks before going down with his injury.
The Philadelphia, Pa., native's next chance to return to action will come in Game 3, scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET on Friday.
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