The Miami Heat needed it the most on Friday night. By “it”, that means everything.
They needed everything that they could muster up from every single active player on their bench that could muster anything up. Even if certain guys wouldn’t see the floor, they needed their energy like they were casting a Spirit Bomb from the popular animated series, Dragon Ball Z.
One guy, who was a huge part of what they did on the floor, Kyle Lowry, was one of the guys that mustered up the most. After appearing as though he wouldn’t improve at all, health-wise, heading into Game 6, he came out and had his best game of the series when his team needed it the most.
The Heat have arrived in Boston to get ready for a do-or-die Game 6. pic.twitter.com/DUjE2iaJo0
— Will Manso (@WillManso) May 26, 2022
It was one of the guttiest showings you’ll ever see from anybody, but especially a guy in Lowry’s scenario.
The Miami Heat are set to play Game 7 on Sunday. They need Kyle Lowry to keep being the future HOFer that he is in Game 7 to win it.
Not only did his injury look tender before entering the game, but he actually slipped on a wet spot late in the game that saw him come up gimpy.
That was moments after he had hit what was probably the biggest shot of the game for the Miami Heat though. After allowing the Celtics to come back from 13 down in the third and a seven-point lead to open the fourth period, the Miami Heat would allow the Celtics to take a three-point lead at 97-94.
Lowry’s three-pointer over the top of a crowd of guys was not only essential to tie the ball game up at 97 all, but was just what the Miami Heat needed to put them back in the right mindset after allowing the Celtics back in it.
So yes, his raw production of the 18 points, four rebounds, and 10 assists were greatly needed in this one, but for a guy like Lowry, it’s bigger than that. It’s about his ability to lead and make a big play that many others can’t make in the most crucial moments.
It’s what champions do. It’s what future Hall Of Famers do and trust—Kyle Lowry is that.
He passes the eye test, but if that’s not enough, he ranks pretty high when it comes to Basketball Reference’s Hall Of Fame Probability metric as well. He’ll need to give another of these types of showings in Game 7 to help push his team to the NBA Finals.
If he has more of this to give, they have just as good a chance as the other side to move forward.