The Miami Heat’s long run in the 2022 NBA Playoffs came to an unfortunate end on Sunday night when they lost to the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Of course, the loss left a bad taste in the mouths of Heat players and fans alike. Heat guard Kyle Lowry went so far as to say that the entire 2021-22 NBA season was a “waste” because he and the Heat didn’t get a chance to play for a championship.
It was a wasted year to Kyle Lowry pic.twitter.com/TdMW1Kiqmc
— Yahoo Sports Canada (@YahooCASports) May 30, 2022
They’re strong words to be sure, and they shine a light on just how competitive Lowry is as a player.
Unfortunately, his commitment to excellence and winning titles did not exactly translate to his performances in his first playoff run with the Heat.
In the 10 playoff games that he played this season, he averaged just 7.8 points, 4.7 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game. Those numbers are a far cry from what fans have come to expect from the six-time All-Star.
Lowry was dealing with a hamstring injury in the playoffs that forced him to miss a number of games, and he never really was able to offer the kind of playoff performances that Heat fans surely hoped they’d get from him.
Now, Lowry and the Heat will have to watch the rest of the postseason from home. Surely, it’s a tough pill to swallow after such an exciting and hard-fought playoff run.
Once a champion is crowned, Lowry and his Heat teammates will undoubtedly get started on trying to get better so that they can make sure next season ends in a more favorable way.
