Report: There is ‘cautious optimism’ from people around Kyle Lowry that his hamstring injury isn’t serious

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In the wake of the Miami Heat’s Friday night’s playoff loss to the Atlanta Hawks, there is reportedly cautious optimism about the extent of Kyle Lowry’s hamstring injury.

Lowry left Friday’s game with just under two minutes left in the third quarter and was limping slowly while walking to the team bus after the game.

Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald offered a hopeful sign about Lowry’s chances to play in Sunday’s Game 4 matchup against the Hawks.

“There is cautious optimism from those around Lowry that the hamstring injury is not serious,” wrote Chiang.

After Game 3, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra chose not to speculate on Lowry’s availability for Game 4, opting instead to wait until the team gets more information on Saturday.

The 36-year-old Lowry was acquired by the Heat in a sign-and-trade deal with the Toronto Raptors during the offseason. This season, he was a part of the starting lineup in each of the 63 regular season contests he played in for the Heat.

Lowry’s scoring average dipped slightly from recent years, but his overall game remains strong and is key for the Heat during their playoff run.

On Friday, the absence of Lowry during the final quarter was obviously felt by the Heat. After holding an eight-point advantage with 12 minutes left and leading by 14 with 9:06 to go in the game, the Heat struggled to keep Hawks guard Trae Young in check.

Young scored 10 of his 24 points in the final quarter and connected on a game-winner with just 5.5 seconds left.

Miami’s frustrating 111-110 loss prevented the team from taking a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Still, if the Heat pick up a victory on Sunday, they’ll have a chance to clinch the series at home on Tuesday night.

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Brad Sullivan is a freelance writer for HeatNation.com, having been an avid fan of NBA basketball for more than four decades. During that time, he's watched the Heat evolve from gestation period to expansion team all the way to three-time NBA champions. He'll follow their quest toward again reaching those lofty heights, and do so by offering some perspective along the way.