Kyle Lowry confirmed Tuesday that he remains on a minutes restriction in his third week back from a month off due to knee pain, which is expected to have the veteran Miami Heat point guard out for Wednesday night’s conference-seeding showdown against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday night’s game against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena, Lowry said the decision was not his.
“No, doctor’s recommendation,” he said.
Having turned 37 Saturday, Lowry said it is a case of having to put aside his strong-willed approach.
“Strong willing has kind of gotten me into the situation I’ve been in right now,” he said, having logged heavy early-season minutes before succumbing to the pain in his left knee. “So I’ve got to be smart about this one and with the organization. I think we’ve been on a great page and we’ve been on the same page with everything I’ve been doing, coming off the bench, the minutes and the timing and everything, and just kind of making sure I’m available, and being able to be me when I’m in the game.”
Lowry has played as a reserve since his March 11 return, with Gabe Vincent starting in his place.
“For me, it’s just continue to try to get better,” he said. “I’m in a different role and I’m still on a minutes restriction. So it’s just kind of making myself available to play the minutes I’m allotted right now, to make sure I’m healthy and can be effective in those minutes.”
Coach Erik Spoelstra said Lowry missing a game on this two-game trip was anticipated.
“This is all still a part of the plan,” he said.
The Heat have one additional back-to-back set in the regular season, when they play next week in Philadelphia and then Washington. Spoelstra said no determination has been made about that approach with Lowry.
“We have not decided yet on the other one,” Spoelstra said.
There are no back-to-back sets in the play-in round or playoffs.
“He means a lot,” Spoelstra said of Lowry. “You need the veteran experience going through this.”
Zeller back
By contrast, veteran center Cody Zeller acknowledged at the morning shootaround that he is pushing the envelope in his return from a broken nose sustained in that March 11 overtime loss in Orlando.
Because of the severe swelling, Zeller was unable to undergo surgery until March 17.
“They weren’t able to fix it quickly, obviously. It was a pretty good break,” he said. “I think they said if it was anyone else, they said it’s supposed to be two weeks after surgery. . . . So to be 10 days out and to be able to play is pushing the envelope a little bit.
“But I feel good. It’s not like a knee injury or a shoulder or anything else where you kind of have to ramp up. It’s basically as long as my nose doesn’t bleed, I was able to do everything. I was able to ramp up a little bit. I feel good. If anything, I was able to take advantage of extra time off and my body feels good.”
It is the third time in the NBA that Zeller, 30, has broken his nose, having also done it while with the Charlotte Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers. He was able to get the Blazers to ship him the mask he wore last season.
“The Portland guys were great about sending it,” he said. “Two days after I broke it, the Portland guys had the mask from last year.
“So I’m a little bit used to wearing it just because I wore it a lot last year”
While accepting the accompanying risks.
“It takes six weeks for a bone to heal,” he said. “So if I just push on it too hard, it will shift back. So that’s what the mask is meant to kind of keep the pressure on your cheek and your forehead. So we kind of pushed the envelope a little bit. But if I’m anywhere near being able to play, ‘I’m going to play.”
()