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The Miami Heat (2-3) are in must-win territory entering Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Celtics, and fans are desperately hoping they can turn things around at the TD Garden on Friday night.
However, after WPLG Local 10 reporter Will Manso tweeted out a video of the Heat’s roster getting off the team bus on Thursday, May 26, seemingly to hype up fans, the video seemed to have the opposite effect.
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Heat star Jimmy Butler is the first to step off the bus in the video, but it was Kyle Lowry trailing behind him, walking with what looks like an incredible discomfort, that caught everyone’s attention.
A popular Heat fan accounted retweeted Manso’s video and wrote, “Team looks defeated. Lowry can’t walk. Absolute pain.”
As it stands, Lowry, who’s playing through a left hamstring injury, is listed as questionable for Game 6 on Thursday’s injury report, which Heat’s head coach Erik Spoelstra said is not fully accurate. Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman tweeted on Thursday, “Spoelstra basically says ignore injury list, that those who played Wednesday he expects to play Friday,” save for Tyler Herro, who’s groin strain may keep him sidelined for Game 6.
So, if there’s no questioning Lowry will play on Friday night, the video of him limping less than 24 hours before tipoff didn’t sit well with many viewers. “Bro Lowry is literally playing on one leg…🤷🏻♂️,” one man tweeted, while a Heat fan wrote, “Wow look at the way Lowry walked in? That hamstring is gone for 6 months.”
However, not everyone was buying Lowry’s limp as real. One man responded, “You know Kyle is probably limping on purpose right ? Still, he shouldn’t be playing cause he’s been awful.”
The 36-year-old point guard scored 0 minutes in 25 minutes of play against the Celtics in Game 5, with just one rebound, zero assists, zero steals, and zero blocks. Lowry picked up five fouls and committed three turnovers.
Manso, for his part, doesn’t think anyone should read into Lowry’s limp. “I genuinely love Heat Twitter,” he tweeted. “Bus walk analysis is incredible content,” before retweeting the video of Lowry’s awkward walk and adding, “Me every time I get up from a chair.”
Lowry Admitted He Played ‘Terrible’ in Game 5
During the postgame conference on Wednesday night, Lowry, who’s shot 1-of-12 over the past two games, admitted he didn’t play well but never blamed the lackluster performance on his injury. The six-time All-Star remained committed to turning things around for Game 6.
“I’ve got to play better in general, no matter what happens,” Lowry said. “It’s a team game, and we’re out there together. For me, just being in the right spots defensively and setting up guys offensively. I’ve been playing terrible. It is what it is. I’m out there, so I’ve got to do a better job.”
NBA Analysts Respectfully Suggest the Heat Bench Lowry for Game 6
Reserve guard Gabe Vincent filled in for Lowry while the veteran missed multiple games throughout the Heat’s postseason, and coming off the bench in Game 5, the 25-year-old soundly outperformed him. In 23 minutes of play, Vincent put up 15 points, with two rebounds, two assists, and one steal.
Despite the fact that Lowry’s one of the best point guards in the NBA, was crucial in the Heat entering the postseason as the No. 1 seed, and has a wealth of playoff experience, it’s clear he can’t play to the best of his ability right now.
The Athletic‘s Joe Vardon urged the Heat to bench Lowry for Game 6, noting the difficulty of such a move:
Sitting him in the most important game of the season is not a decision to be made lightly, and the star in Lowry, the fighter, the champion and the ego that comes along with all of those things, would object (vehemently) to the idea.
But playing with a hamstring injury is such an exposing, degrading experience. Lowry, like those who have tried before him, is moving much slower than he is used to, is tentative to make cuts, zoom around screens, push in transition and scramble on defense… It’s a suffocating feeling to know how he appears on the court, and the numbers next to his name on the stat sheet, are not the real him. They’re the hamstring talking.
Yahoo! Sports Chris Haynes agrees with Vardon. Haynes wrote on Thursday, “Vincent has proven to be the better option at this point, but Lowry possesses a wealth of postseason experience that is almost certainly factoring into the equation.”
“The veteran has earned his respect throughout his prolific career, but it might be time for Spoelstra to make him earn his minutes for this postseason,” Haynes concluded.
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