There was no waiting game for Kyle Lowry on Tuesday morning, no Game 5 for the veteran Miami Heat point guard on Tuesday night.
Rather than hold off on a decision with Lowry’s balky left hamstring, the Heat announced at their gameday shootaround that Lowry would sit out for the third time in this best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Philadelphia 76ers.
“This is what you’re dealing with, when you have an injury like that,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said at FTX Arena after the morning practice session. “We just have to be very disciplined about it. He would go out there and compete and have an impact. But there’s diminishing returns on that, as well.”
Initially injured April 22 in the Heat’s Game 3 loss during the opening round of the playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks, Lowry missed the final two games of that series that the Heat won 4-1, as well as the first two games of this series against the 76ers.
After the Heat won the first two games against the 76ers at FTX Arena, Lowry returned to play in the Heat’s two losses in Philadelphia, struggling with his shooting and mobility.
He reaggravated the strain in the Sunday’s Game 4 loss at Wells Fargo Center that left the series tied 2-2 going into Tuesday night’s Game 5.
“There is a human side to it,” Spoelstra said. “I know how competitive Kyle is, and I know how much he wants to be out there, particularly at this point in his career, this is what he’s playing for, these moments.”
Spoelstra said Lowry was engaged throughout the team’s preparations for Tuesday night’s game.
“I do feel for him,” Spoelstra said. “He’s a great teammate. He was as active as anybody in the shootaround. He was making sure everybody was prepped and all the details and all of that.
“He’s going to be able to have an impact from the sidelines. But we’ve had enough of these games all year long, that other guys have been able to step up. We’ve been able to still keep that component of leadership and communication all down the line.”
Gabe Vincent started in the four playoff games Lowry initially missed, with the Heat winning all four.
“We’ve dealt with it before,” Spoelstra said. “We’ve dealt with all the different rotation challenges. And that’s just what we’re dealing with right now. And we have plenty of the guys that can step up. It’ll look a little bit different, but we’ve had recent experience with it.”
Lowry, 36, is completing the first year of a three-year, $85 million contract he signed in August as part of a sign-and-trade transaction that sent Goran Dragic and Precious Achiuwa to the Toronto Raptors.
Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers told reporters at his team’s morning shootaround that it was clear Lowry was compromised.
“Even if it’s not physical,” Rivers said, “it’s absolutely a mental effect. There’s no doubt about that.”
While Heat-76ers continues with Thursday’s 7 p.m. Game 6 in Philadelphia, the scheduling for the next round, the Eastern Conference finals, has a start date of either Sunday or, two days later, May 17, timing that could come into play for Lowry.
No additional MRI was required.
“He’ll just continue to do all his treatment,” Spoelstra said.
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