Nick Nurse Offers Update on Philadelphia 76ers Veteran Guard

Since late December, the Philadelphia 76ers have dealt with multiple injuries and have players in and out of the lineup on a game-by-game basis. The veteran guard Kyle Lowry has recently fallen under that category since December 30.

When the Sixers paid a visit to the Portland Trail Blazers before New Year’s Eve, Lowry was ruled out with a hip-related setback. It was his first absence since December 13.

Lowry would return to the Sixers’ lineup on New Year’s Day against the Sacramento Kings. He started and collected 17 minutes. In the following game, Lowry saw the court against the Golden State Warriors for just nine minutes despite being a starter.

When the Sixers faced the Brooklyn Nets on January 4, Lowry came off the bench. He ended up seeing the court for 24 minutes. From that point on, Lowry hasn’t played.

Jan 2, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Kyle Lowry (7) takes a three-point shot over Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images | John Hefti-Imagn Images

Earlier this week, the Sixers hosted the Phoenix Suns and the Washington Wizards. When the Sixers faced the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, Lowry missed his third game in a row. Before the game, 76ers head coach Nick Nurse addressed the state of Lowry’s setback.

“It is bothering him—obviously, it’s bothering him because he’s not playing,” Nurse said regarding Lowry’s hip sprain.

“I talked to him yesterday, like, what’s going on? The treatments and stuff are getting a little more aggressive to try and treat it quicker. He says it’s helping, but it’s not helping quite enough yet. … It’s not like he’s out a week or is out two weeks. I don’t think it’s quite like day-to-day yet, either.”

Lowry’s hip has been a concern far longer than this recent string of absences. Nurse couldn’t confirm just how much it affected the veteran guard at times throughout the year, but he assumed it played a factor in some of Lowry’s struggles.

“I think anybody that’s not feeling great is probably going to get affected in some way, right? He’s been able to battle through and play through a lot of stuff,” Nurse said of Lowry.

“He had all kinds of stuff going on for a couple of years when I coached him, but he still ends up going out there and finding a way to impact the game, but it’s probably affected him.”

After Friday’s outing against the Pelicans, the Sixers will pay a visit to the Orlando Magic on Sunday. For Nurse, it was too early to make the call on Lowry’s status for that matchup on Friday. Saturday's injury report confirmed Lowry would not be a part of the Sixers' lineup in Orlando, as he was already ruled out for the night.

A Backcourt Blow

The Sixers’ backcourt dealt with a major blow, back in December. As the team competed against the Indiana Pacers at home, the rookie guard Jared McCain experienced soreness in his knee after a fall.

It turned out that McCain was dealing with a lateral meniscus tear. The Sixers announced that McCain would undergo surgery. At first, the team waited for a four-week re-evaluation to decide on a timeline.

Unfortunately, the Sixers were left with no choice but to rule McCain out for the remainder of the 2024-2025 NBA season.

“I kind of knew that’s where it was heading,” said a disappointed Nick Nurse.

“I’m just more talking to him about how he’s doing, when are we going to be able to see him around a little bit more, and when is he going to be able to do anything—because I got just some good ideas about things he could possibly do while he’s out—still got a little bit of time before we get to that point.”

McCain grew to become a critical member of the Sixers’ backcourt. In his final 16 games, McCain averaged 32 minutes on the court. During that stretch, he posted averages of 19 points and three assists while shooting 40 percent from three.

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