ATLANTA — Miami Heat point guard Kyle Lowry suffered a left hamstring injury in the third quarter of the Hawks’ 111-110 Game 3 win Friday night.
He could only watch from the bench as Eastern Conference No. 8 Atlanta went from a double-digit deficit to a 2-1 tie against the No. 1 in the first-round best-of-seven playoff series to reach the heat .
“I’m mad as hell,” Lowry told ESPN as he exited State Farm Arena after the game with a noticeable limp.
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Lowry told ESPN he plans to get 24-hour treatment before Game 4 on Sunday. When asked if the injury could mean he could be out at any time during the series, he brushed aside any concerns.
“No, I’m Wolverine,” Lowry said with a lopsided smile, referring to the X-Men comic book character known for his superhuman healing powers.
Lowry left the game at 1:59 in the third quarter and 13 points clear of the Heat. He didn’t come back.
The Hawks finished the quarter on a 6-1 run and then edged Miami 34-25 in the fourth to settle matters with a three-pointer from Trae Young (10 of his 24 points in the fourth), Bogdan Bogdanovic (nine of his 18 points in the fourth) and Delon Wright (five of his 13 points in fourth).
“Right now all I know is it’s a hamstring,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after the game when asked about Lowry. “But I don’t know the severity and we’ll find out more tomorrow.”
Lowry had just six points in 2-on-7 shooting and five assists in Game 3 but recorded a plus-18 plus-minus as the best team in the 23 minutes he was on the court.
The Heat had 25 assists for their first 31 baskets (80.6%) in the first three quarters, but assisted just five of 10 field goals in the fourth quarter, with Lowry out when Miami’s offense turned into multiple long-jump shots down the stretch .
“I know we love this guy as our point guard,” said Jimmy Butler, who had 20 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists but missed a potential game win of 3 on the buzzer. “When he’s with us, yippee-ki-yay. If not, someone has to step in and do their job.
“It’s very, very difficult to do. But we’ve got enough in this dressing room trying to bring what Kyle does to the table. He’ll get his treatment and we’ll see where he is.”