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Miami Heat guard Kyle Lowry has been ruled out for Tuesday’s Game 5 against the Atlanta Hawks because of a hamstring injury, the team announced Monday.
Lowry suffered the injury during Game 3 last week and also missed Game 4 because of the ailment. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters before Game 4 that the team would be cautious with his injury and recovery process.
“You have to be smart about it,” he said, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “The training staff determined that he wasn’t going to play tonight, and we have everybody else available and that’s what we’re focused on right now.”
Before the postseason, Lowry mostly avoided any injuries. However, he did miss time while in the NBA’s health and safety protocols. When healthy, he is a key contributor for the Heat.
The 36-year-old averaged 13.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists during the regular season while shooting 44.0 percent from the floor and 37.7 percent from deep. In three playoff games so far, he’s averaging 8.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists.
When Lowry misses time, Tyler Herro and Gabe Vincent see more playing time in his absence. The former had a career year during the regular season, while the latter has been a solid depth player for Miami.
With the Heat holding a 3-1 series lead over the Raptors, giving Lowry some time to recover is probably the best way to go.
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