Shocking Report: After making his 76ers debut, Kyle Lowry has been ruled out for their next game

After making his Philadelphia 76ers debut, Kyle Lowry will sit out the team’s next game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. On the second night of a back-to-back after not playing for a month, the Sixers are easing Lowry back into the swing of things.

Lowry is listed as out on the injury report due to “return to competition reconditioning.” Prior to his 76ers debut, the veteran point guard hadn’t played since January 21 as he and the Charlotte Hornets came to an agreement on a buyout.

During his debut with his hometown team, Jericho Sims accidentally elbowed Lowry in the face as they fought for a rebound. Lowry received stitches and returned to the game, finishing with 11 points, five assists and four rebounds in the 76ers’ loss to the New York Knicks. He said after the game that he felt fine, though having some extra time to let that wound heal will be nice to have, too.

The 76ers will also be without Joel Embiid (left knee meniscus procedure) and Robert Covington (left knee bone bruise) against the Cavs. De’Anthony Melton (back; lumbar spine stress response) is listed as probable and is expected to make his return after an 18-game absence. Nico Batum returned from a nine-game absence in the loss to the Knicks but is listed as questionable as he continues to recover from his left hamstring strain.

For the Cavs, who are also playing on the second night of a back-to-back after losing to the Orlando Magic, Donovan Mitchell is listed as questionable with an illness while Ty Jerome (right ankle surgery) and Tristan Thompson remain out.

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The Philadelphia 76ers square off with the Cleveland Cavaliers yet again, just 11 days after pulling off an impressive upset on the second place team in the Eastern Conference.

The Philadelphia 76ers face the second half of a back-to-back Friday night when they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Wells Fargo Center.

The Sixers are coming off a tough loss to the New York Knicks Thursday night. They chipped a 26-point deficit down to just six points in the fourth period but ran out of gas before they could complete the comeback. Kyle Lowry made his debut for the Sixers in the contest and impressed with a relatively seamless integration with his new team’s offense.

Philadelphia will be without Lowry tonight, however, who has been ruled out for return-to-competition reconditioning. The Sixers will also be without Robert Covington and, of course, Joel Embiid. Nico Batum is listed as questionable for left hamstring injury recovery after returning to action last night following nine games sidelined.

However, De’Anthony Melton is listed as probable to make his return Friday evening. He last played Jan. 12 before missing the last 18 games struggling with a back injury. One can imagine he may be on a serious minutes restriction after such a long hiatus, but it’s good to see the injury report for the Sixers shrinking after a few rough weeks.

The Cavaliers may be without their star leader in Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell was out last night in their loss to the Orlando Magic and is now listed as questionable for Friday’s contest with an illness. He’s averaging 28.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game this season, so suffice to say his absence is felt when he’s sidelined.

Mitchell was able to do pretty much whatever he wanted against the Sixers last meeting just over 10 days ago, dropping 36 points on Philadelphia. The Sixers were able to pull off an impressive but narrow 123-121 upset on the Cavaliers that had won 17 of their previous 18 contests at the time.

It’s important to note, however, what a complete team effort it took for the Sixers to manage that victory over the Cavaliers. Imagine the stark opposite of what we saw against the Knicks last night. Back on Feb. 12, six players scored in double-digits for Philadelphia, with Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Buddy Hield dropping over 20 points each. Again, an extreme contrast to what we saw less than 24 hours ago. If they want to even stand a chance against the Cavs again, it’s going to take everyone again.

Perhaps some defense would help the hosts as well. As well as the Sixers played offensively, they were overwhelmed defensively by Mitchell (36 points), Darius Garland (21 points) and Jarrett Allen (21 points). To be fair, neither team was putting up a fortified resistance in the last meeting. That being said, simply pitting the Cavaliers’ impressive offensive force to the Sixers’ current one, there is the potential for things to get extremely lopsided in Cleveland’s favor fast if Philadelphia can’t figure out a way to slow them down — whether they’re with or without Mitchell, frankly.

The Cavs are also on the latter half of a back-to-back, having fallen to the Magic on Thursday with Mitchell sidelined. If they didn’t already want a win as revenge on the Sixers, they absolutely want one to get back on track after last night. They’ve won eight of their last 10 and sit in second in the Eastern Conference.

The Sixers and Cavs tip off in South Philadelphia at 7:30 p.m.

Game Details

Who: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

When: 7:30 pm EST

Where: The Center, Philadelphia, PA

Watch: ESPN, NBC Sports Philadelphia

Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic