Kyle Lowry waxes poetic about basketball after return from injury
Yesterday at 12:29 PM
NEW YORK — Kyle Lowry returning from injury at this point in the Philadelphia 76ers’ season was a bit of a surprise. The team has nothing to play for besides positioning in the draft lottery. But for Lowry, the love for the game is too strong to keep him out when he’s healthy enough to play.
Playing 16 minutes in the Sixers’ 105-91 loss to the New York Knicks, Lowry went scoreless but recorded two assists, two steals, a rebound and a block. He missed the last 23 games due to a hip injury, returning to play with an active roster of guys he has either barely or never before played with — all just to savor the last few games this season has to offer.
"I mean, it’s always fun to play basketball," Lowry said. "Listen,we’reprivilegedandwe’re honored toplaythe game ofbasketball.Ilovethisgameatthehighestlevel.It’sprovidedme,myfamily,myfriendswitheverythingthatI can actuallyaskfor."
When asked about his future in the NBA, the 39-year-old Lowry simply said, "We’ll get there when it gets there." For the time being, he’s going to see how his body responds to his first game in almost two months, enjoy the rest of his time on the court and possibly add to the Sixers’ historic number of starting lineups.
Kyle Lowry returns from injury in 76ers’ loss to Knicks
Lowry’s presence on the court was important for the Sixers, even if his stat line didn't stand out.
Nick Nurse said that Lowry "played pretty well" despite going scoreless. "He wasout there fora couple of prettygoodstretches that we playedprettywellin," he said. "With thesecondunitguys, keptthoseguys goingprettygood. He played two eight-minute stints, which is probably a little longer than I thought the stints would be, to be honest."
Quentin Grimes thought it was "huge" to have such an experienced veteran out there, especially one familiar with Nurse and his play style. "He’s definitely a vocal leader out there, telling us what to dodefensively,offensively.Sohaving him out there was a big help for me, for sure," he added.
Lonnie Walker IV said it was "enjoyable" to have Lowry back. "It was niceto have a leader, avet who’s been in the game, to show us how to play the right way, bringsomenewenergy and some new flowwithin the flow of the game," he said.
This season has not gone the way the 76ers hoped it would — and Lowry fully knows the extent of it — but the group of players who take the court in these final games have a lot to play for. They want to showcase their skills to NBA talent evaluators, both in Philadelphia and elsewhere. Lowry wants to help them and continue playing the game he loves. Although he wasn't ready to admit it publicly, his time in the NBA is almost up. He wants to make the most of what he has left.
"I’ve beenwatchinga long timenow,soIunderstandwhattheseguysdo. I’mtryingtohelp them," he said. "Myjob is tohelptheseguys get a little bit better, get some more experience. But,youknow, it’s just fun to play basketball."
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