Kyle Lowry available for Game 5 vs. Celtics with hamstring injury

May 25 update: Lowry is available for Game 5.

May 24 update: Lowry is officially being listed as questionable for Game 5 against the Celtics, but he’s likely to play given his availability over the last two games.

May 23 update: Lowry is available for Game 4 and will start for the Heat.

May 22 update: Lowry went out in Game 3 before eventually returning to the contest. He’s listed as questionable with a hamstring injury and has lingering problems with the muscle. Expect him to play through the pain for now, but he could eventually have to sit out for longer stretches to manage this issue.

Update: Lowry had a locker room scare, but has come back to the game. Clearly, his hamstring injury is still not at 100 percent and it is having some effects on his play.

May 21 update: Lowry is on track to play in Game 3 and is expected to start if he’s officially available. This is a big return for Lowry, but hamstrings are a tough injury and we’ve seen the guard struggle to get his rhythm going before. Gabe Vincent remains a nice option for Miami, especially since Lowry did have some setbacks with this injury in the previous round.

May 20 update: Lowry is listed as questionable for Game 3, so there’s a chance he could be returning the court with the Heat and Celtics tied 1-1. Lowry rushed back from this injury in the second round, so the Heat will be cautious with the point guard.

May 18 update: Lowry remains out for Game 2 against the Celtics, although Miami looked fine without him in Game 1. The Heat eventually need the veteran point guard back, but for now he remains on the sidelines. Gabe Vincent is in line for another start in Game 2 Thursday.

The Miami Heat have ruled Kyle Lowry out for Game 1 of the Eastern conference finals with a hamstring injury. Lowry suffered this injury in the opening round of the playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks and made his return in the second round against the Philadelphia 76ers. However, he aggravated that injury in Game 4 and missed the final two contests of that series.

The Heat were able to close out Philadelphia without Lowry, so they’re used to playing without the veteran guard. Gabe Vincent and Tyler Herro will take on bigger roles with Lowry out, although Miami likely loses some traction in terms of series odds here. Lowry was the big offseason addition and has a major impact for the Heat defensively. Given the way Boston’s perimeter game is going, losing Lowry for extended time could spell trouble in this series.

The Heat are currently listed as 1.5-point favorites in Game 1 per DraftKings Sportsbook.