Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry has insisted that he hopes to return to the line-up before the end of the regular season but wants to be cautious.
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Lowry missed his fifth straight game on Friday night with back spasms, and it’s an issue that has been bothering him since the start of last month.
While the ideal scenario would be that the 29-year-old returns in the next week or so, he will be anxious to ensure that he doesn’t suffer any setbacks with such little time remaining before the playoffs start.
Toronto have seven games remaining in the regular season, and there is certainly a balance to be found between needing minutes to improve his conditioning, and to have him available for the post-season without any lingering injury issues.
“I’m taking my time in this process and making sure I’m completely, fully healthy,” Lowry said, according to ESPN.
“It’s feeling better. It’s still very tender and sensitive, but the process is getting better.”
Lowry is averaging 17.9 points and 6.9 assists in 66 games for the Raptors this season, and he has continued to prove to be a vital part of Dwane Casey’s team.
Toronto have struggled in his absence despite having DeMar DeRozan back from his own injury woes, as Lowry has suffered throughout the campaign with knocks after dislocating two bones in his shooting hand and picking up a knee injury earlier in the year.
However, Toronto remain on course to secure the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, and they will hope that Lowry is fit enough to make his comeback before the playoffs in order to get his conditioning and rhythm back up to optimum level.
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