The Miami Heat already have a commanding lead in their series against the Philadelphia 76ers after winning Game 2 with ease on Wednesday night.
As the series heads to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4, the Heat may have some support on the way. It sounds like point guard Kyle Lowry’s status for Game 3 has been upgraded to questionable.
Lowry has missed the last four games due to a hamstring injury.
When Lowry does return to the Heat lineup, the team will boast perhaps the deepest playoff rotation in the NBA. One unforeseen benefit of his absence has been the rise of fellow guard Victor Oladipo.
With Lowry sidelined, the Heat have called on Oladipo to help fill the void. He has answered the call with flying colors and recorded double-digit scoring nights in two of his last four appearances. Now, even when Lowry does return, the Heat will know that they can lean on Oladipo for some valuable scoring off the bench if they need him.
The Heat will take the court again on Friday evening, giving Lowry some time to rest and rehab before a final decision is likely made on his status for the game. A Philadelphia native, Lowry will surely do everything that he can in order to play in front of his hometown.
After all, given how the first two games of the series have gone, he may only have a couple of chances to do so before the Heat close things out and advance to the next round.
