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Sixers Veteran Back Out vs Bucks After Shocking Return

Kyle Lowry will not be on the court for the Sixers against the Bucks.
Justin Grasso|
Feb 2, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Kyle Lowry (7) reacts against the Boston Celtics in the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Feb 2, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Kyle Lowry (7) reacts against the Boston Celtics in the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

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Kyle Lowry made it clear he had intentions of returning for the final stretch of the 2024-2025 NBA season as long as he was healthy. After being on the injury report for nearly two months, Lowry made a shocking return against the New York Knicks earlier this week.

However, when the Sixers host the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night, Lowry will be out of the mix as he’s been ruled out ahead of the matchup.

The Sixers consider Lowry’s absence on Thursday a result of injury management.

When the Sixers took on the Knicks, Lowry checked in for 16 minutes off the bench. He put up just one shot, registering zero points on the night. Lowry collected one rebound, two steals, one block, and two assists.

After the game, the veteran guard explained his decision to return to the court despite the state of the team.

"It's always fun to play basketball,” Lowry told reporters. “Listen, we're privileged and we're honored to play the game of basketball and I love this game at the highest level. It's provided me, my family, my friends with everything that I can actually ask for. So why not try to do it, play and just have fun?”

Lowry first joined the Sixers last season after reaching a buyout with the Charlotte Hornets. At the time, the Sixers were on their way to another postseason appearance, representing the Eastern Conference as the seventh seed. Over the offseason, Lowry returned to the Sixers on a one-year.

Although the Sixers hoped to compete for a title in 2025, they are already eliminated from the playoffs at this stage of the season. Lowry has just a few more games left before he looks at another trip to the free agency market.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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