Heat’s Kyle Lowry Out for Game 1 vs. 76ers Because of Hamstring Injury

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Miami Heat guard Kyle Lowry won’t play in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Heat announced that Lowry’s hamstring injury will keep him out against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday. 

Jimmy Butler, who missed Game 5 against the Atlanta Hawks with knee soreness, is listed as questionable. Markieff Morris, Caleb Martin, P.J. Tucker, Tyler Herro and Max Strus are also questionable for Game 1 against the Sixers. 

This means both teams will likely be missing a star player when the series begins. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Joel Embiid isn’t traveling to Miami for the first two games of the series as he deals with an orbital fracture and mild concussion suffered in Game 6 against the Toronto Raptors. 

Lowry’s health became an issue for the Heat when he suffered a hamstring injury during Game 3 of their first-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks. He ended up missing the final two games of that series.

Durability has been something of a concern of late for the 36-year-old, who hasn’t played more than 65 games in a season since 2017-18 when he was still a member of the Toronto Raptors.

Lowry appeared in 63 games for Miami this season and averaged 13.4 points, 7.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals per night while shooting 44.0 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from three-point range.

While the six-time All-Star has taken a step back from his prime, he is still a key piece for the Heat’s championship hopes because of his ability to facilitate, hit the three and run the offense as a playoff-tested veteran.

If Lowry is sidelined following this setback, look for Miami to rely more on Gabe Vincent and Victor Oladipo in the backcourt.