76ers Won't Face Raptors Veteran Kyle Lowry on Sunday Night
The Toronto Raptors are coming into Sunday's matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers shorthanded as they're set to play without their starting guard, Kyle Lowry.
It's been quite a few days since the veteran guard has seen the court for the Raptors. Lowry has missed some time after injuring his thumb in the February 16th matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks.
A few nights ago, Lowry wasn't available for the second Bucks matchup after logging 21 minutes against them in the previous game. Fortunately for Toronto, they got the job done without their veteran as they defeated the Bucks with a 14-point victory.
The following night, the Raptors had a quick turnaround and were scheduled to face the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road. Once again, Lowry's hand injury forced him to miss the matchup, but his team got the job done without him as they defeated the T'Wolves 86-81.
Now, the sixth-seeded Raptors are set to face the top team in the Eastern Conference on Sunday. Heading into the first game of a two-matchup series, the Sixers are on a two-game win-streak thanks to the star power of Joel Embiid.
And while the Raptors will be shorthanded without their leading guard in the mix, the 76ers are expected to be a lot healthier on Sunday. For the last five games, the 76ers have played without their primary backup point guard, Shake Milton.
Nearly two weeks ago, Milton injured his ankle against the Sacramento Kings and hadn't seen the court since. Also, Sixers starting guard Ben Simmons missed the last two games due to a non-COVID-19-related illness.
Both players are listed as probable for Sunday's game as they're expected to make their returns. Meanwhile, the Raptors will have to look for a way to keep their three-game win streak alive against the Sixers without Kyle Lowry's 17 points-per-game, 6.4 assists, and 38-percent shooting from beyond-the-arc.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_
