– ‣ Philadelphia 76ers guard Kyle Lowry has been downgraded to out for the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to return to competition conditioning.
– ‣ Kyle Lowry signed with the Philadelphia 76ers on a $2.8 million deal for the rest of the season after being waived by the Charlotte Hornets.
– ‣ The Sixers are facing challenges, being 3-10 in their past 13 contests and failing to cover the spread in their last seven home games, with the team listed as 4.5-point underdogs against the Cavaliers.
Kyle Lowry (return to competition conditioning) is listed as OUT for tonight’s game against Cavs, the second night of a back-to-back. De’Anthony Melton (spine) is probable, which aligns with Nick Nurse’s comments yesterday, while Nico Batum (hamstring recovery) is questionable.
— Gina Mizell (@ginamizell)
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Kyle Lowry, the Philadelphia 76ers guard, won’t be hitting the court for Friday’s face-off at home. They’re squaring off against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and it’s a back-to-back game night.
Now, here’s a twist. The Miami Heat had traded Lowry and a protected 2027 first-round draft pick. They got guard Terry Rozier from the Charlotte Hornets in return. This deal went down on Jan. 23. But wait, there’s more. Charlotte said “no thanks” to the six-time All-Star guard and waived him on Feb. 11. Why? He agreed to a contract buyout.
Fast forward two days. Lowry’s making moves and signs with Philadelphia. The deal? A cool $2.8 million for the rest of the season.
Oh, and there’s a tweet floating around. It says Kyle Lowry is out for tonight’s game against the Cavs. It’s the second night of a back-to-back. De’Anthony Melton’s spine is probably okay, says Nick Nurse. And Nico Batum? His hamstring’s got him on the maybe list.
Lowry’s debut with the Sixers was something. Thursday night, against the New York Knicks, he racked up 11 points, nabbed four rebounds, and dished out five assists. And he did all this in 26 minutes coming off the bench.
So far this season, Lowry’s played 38 games, starting 35 of them. His averages? 8.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and a steal per game. He’s on the court for about 27.9 minutes, hitting 43.4% from the field, 38.7% from beyond the arc, and 83.3% at the foul line. But, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. His player efficiency rating and usage percentage? They’re hitting career lows.
Now, let’s talk about a game from the past. In Miami’s victory over the Cavaliers on Nov. 22, Lowry was on fire. He scored a season-high 28 points, with a rebound and three assists, all in 29 minutes.
Injury reports are in. Sixers’ De’Anthony Melton (spine) is probably good to go. Nic Batum and his hamstring? That’s a maybe.
Betting trends are interesting, aren’t they? The Cavaliers are on a roll, winning 17 of their last 20 games. But against Philadelphia? They’ve only won 2 out of the last 10 matchups. However, against Eastern Conference teams, they’ve won 13 of their last 16.
The Sixers have had a rough patch recently. They’ve only won 3 of their last 13 games. And covering the spread at home? Forget about it. They haven’t done that in their last seven home games. Fridays seem cursed too; they’re 2-6 in their last eight Friday games.
The betting odds? The Sixers are 4.5-point underdogs at home. ESPN’s Basketball Power Index is leaning heavily towards the Cavs. They’ve got a 70.5% chance of winning in Philadelphia.
Game time is set. The Sixers (32-23) are hosting Cleveland (36-18) at 7:30 p.m. ET. Grab your popcorn.
