Latest Updates On Kyle Lowry's Potential Return From Injury With Miami Heat
The Miami Heat were just a couple of shots away from making the NBA Finals a season ago, as they fell in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals to the Boston Celtics.
Now, they find themselves in a situation this season where they may not even make the playoffs, as the Heat are currently the 7-seed in the East and have work to do if they are to make the postseason, especially if they have to earn their spot via the Play-In Tournament.
A potential rematch against the Celtics in the first-round of the playoffs in the 2-seed versus 7-seed matchup is still a very real possibility, but if Miami is to have any chance of going on a late-season run, they will need Kyle Lowry healthy and producing at the point guard position.
Playing in 44 games this year, Lowry has averaged 12.0 points, 5.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting just 33.3 percent from three-point range. However, he has missed the team’s last 13 games due to a left knee injury and the Heat have not given any updates on when the veteran guard could possibly return.
Maybe he is not the All-Star talent he once was, but Lowry is still an effective defensive player and leader on the floor for the Heat, which is why they need him to get back sooner than later.
On a recent episode of The Fast Break Podcast, Locked On Heat and Locked On NBA co-host Wes Goldberg gave an update on Lowry’s whereabouts and when we may see him back on the floor for Miami.
“In terms of his health, Kyle Lowry did travel with the team when they recently went to Philadelphia. This was notable not only because he’s from the area, but because he had not traveled with the team in a while and he was upgraded to questionable,” Goldberg said. “Ultimately, going through pre-game shootaround and stuff, he decided he was not yet ready to play. His return does seem imminent though and my guess is that it is going to happen at some point during their six-game homestand. You hope, if you are the Heat, that this time off has done him well and he has recovered enough to give it his all for the playoffs.”
The game Goldberg mentioned in Philadelphia was on February 27, a game that the Heat surprisingly won 101-99 thanks to Jimmy Butler’s late-game heroics.
Since Lowry last played for the Heat, they have gone 6-7, picking up key wins over the Philadelphia 76ers and two straight games against the Atlanta Hawks.
The final stretch of Miami’s season looks daunting though, as they will play the Cleveland Cavaliers twice, the New York Knicks twice, the Brooklyn Nets once and one more game against the Philadelphia 76ers, all of which are currently ahead of Miami in the Eastern Conference standings.
Continuing his update about Lowry, Goldberg went on to say, “A healthy Kyle Lowry is still a positive for this team and they need as much help as they can possibly get at this point.”
Preparing for their matchup at home against the Cavaliers on Wednesday, the Heat find themselves 35-31 on the season, just two games back of the Nets for the 6-seed in the Eastern Conference.
Kyle Lowry’s status for this game and moving forward remains unclear, but there are some positive signs pointing to a potential return within the next week or so.
Be sure to catch up on the newest episode of The Fast Break Podcast hosted by Fastbreak's own Brett Siegel!
Streaming on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, The Fast Break Podcast takes you inside the league with the latest news, intel, rumors and interviews from those close to the action for all 30 teams. Be on the lookout for a new episodes every Friday.
