Since veteran point guard Kyle Lowry returned to the court on March 11, he has been steadily improving while playing in a reserve role for the Heat.
Lowry, who was listed as questionable for Miami’s crucial matchup with the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday due to left knee soreness, has been working his way back to full health.
“It’s clear he’s moving way better than what he was doing before,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He was grinding through it. You have to respect his toughness, his competitiveness. But if your body isn’t right in this league — it’s so competitive, the athletes are world-class, the speed and the quickness — you want to be able to move the way you’re capable of moving.”
Lowry missed 15 games in February and March, and Miami went 7-8 in that stretch. He returned earlier this month and played 36 minutes in an overtime loss to Orlando, but since then, he has played between 19 and 25 minutes.
In his five games back in the rotation, Lowry is averaging 10 points, 4.2 assists and 3.4 rebounds. He is shooting 58.6 percent from the field and 57.9 percent from beyond the arc.
“I think that month of really dedicating himself to getting healthy, getting his leg right, has paid a lot of dividends,” Spoelstra said. “In the minutes that we’re playing him right now, he looks fantastic. And then we’ll just continue to monitor him and we’ll see when we can take the next step.”
Heat center Cody Zeller on Saturday will miss his sixth straight game due to a nasal fracture, the Heat announced Friday. But the veteran’s return to the court could be coming soon.
Spoelstra said Zeller, who has played 10 games with Miami, is getting closer to returning.
“He’s able to do about half of practice today,” Spoelstra said Friday. “He won’t play tomorrow, but he’s definitely trending in the right direction. He’s doing a little bit more each day.”
Zeller, who is averaging 4.7 points and 3.5 rebounds in 13 minutes per game this season, suffered the fracture against Orlando on March 11. It is the second broken nose Zeller has suffered in his career.
South Florida is proving to be a hotbed of college basketball success this season.
The Miami Hurricanes reached the Sweet 16 for the second straight year, and Florida Atlantic punched its first-ever ticket to the Elite Eight with an upset win over Tennessee on Thursday night. The Miami women’s team also reached the Sweet 16 for only the second time in program history.
“I think what FAU’s doing is so awesome,” Spoelstra said. “You don’t even want to say it’s a surprise season because I think — like our league — in the NCAA, there’s a lot more parity. But it shows you the possibilities if you dream big, what could happen.”
Division I teams are not the only South Florida squads reeling off victories. Division II Nova Southeastern is 35-0 this season and will play for the men’s NCCA Tournament title against West Virginia’s West Liberty University on Saturday afternoon.
Spoelstra has a longstanding relationship with Nova coach Jim Crutchfield, and he said he hopes the Sharks complete their undefeated season.
“We all know that I’m a big fan of what [Crutchfield] is doing at Nova,” Spoelstra said. “I think it’s amazing. I hope they are able to win it this year. They had a great chance at it last year. It would be very cool.”
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