Day: March 12, 2023

Kyle Lowry returned to game action with the Miami Heat for the first time since Feb. 2nd and came off the bench. Lowry last played as a reserve in 2013, breaking a streak of 677 games starting.

Lowry wanted to simply help as he can after missing 15 games.

“At this point right now, no,” Lowry said when asked if he cared about still starting. “I know in my heart I’m a starter, but right now we have to figure out things. And me and [Heat coach Erik Spoelstra] talked. He wants to make sure I’m healthy enough to not have a setback and have to change the lineup again and have to change the rotation again.”

Spoelstra and the Heat players were pleased by what they saw from Lowry.

“He came back, and he looked great to me,” Butler said. “Right back in rhythm. But we got to win. With him out there, without him out there, we’re expected to win. We’re in the fight for our life right now. Glad to have my guy back. I think we all know that. I think everybody is. Now we just got to get him back and win.”

Cam Reddish believes his lack of minutes with the New York Knicks wasn’t due to basketball reasons. Reddish has been a consistent part of the Portland Trail Blazers’ rotation since he was traded by the Knicks at the deadline.

“It was tough but at the same time, it ain’t even about basketball,” Reddish told the Daily News. “It had nothing to do with basketball. It was all the politics, all the favoritism. S–t like that. That’s why I wasn’t too worried about it.”

“They put a reputation on you [when you get traded twice like Reddish]. What’s wrong? Why is he going from team to team without getting an opportunity?” Damian Lillard said. “You just don’t know what goes on behind closed doors until you become attached to the situation and it’s our job to encourage him, to speak life into him. Things change and you start to see who they really are.”

The Knicks traded a first round pick to acquire Reddish from the Atlanta Hawks. Leon Rose had to attach another first round pick to send him to the Blazers for Josh Hart.

Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors still hope Andrew Wiggins will be able to return this season. Wiggins has been out since Feb. 13th tending to a family matter.

“I think that’s the hope,” Kerr said during his pregame press conference. “But really, there’s nothing to report on.”

Wiggins was a key part of Golden State’s championship a year ago.

“We’re giving him his space, as we’ve talked about, as he deals with something that’s way more important than a game,” Kerr said. “If he’s able to come back, that would be great. And if not, then that’s the case. Whatever happens, we’ll handle it accordingly.”