Kyle Lowry’s 76ers debut ends in unexpected fashion after Miami Heat trade

Kyle Lowry returned to his hometown during his Philadelphia 76ers debut on Thursday night and wound up leaving the floor after a bloody clash with New York Knicks center Jericho Sims.

Lowry took a vicious elbow to the face from the gargantuan center as he drove to the basket early in the second quarter.

The former 2019 NBA champion writhed in pain while sprawled out on the hardwood. He could be seen banging his feet on the floor while motioning for play to stop.

Lowry ended up needing stitches after his the disappointing injury almost cut his highly anticipated debut well short.

Lowry visibly shaken after dangerous blow to the face

Lowry’s arrival in the City of Brotherly Love created a picture-perfect scenario for the hard-nosed point guard and the gritty Philadelphia fanbase.

The crowd at arena showered the North Philly native with a standing ovation when he checked in to the game in the first quarter, as the team shared on X/Twitter:

76ers faithful were experiencing that exact level of playoff intensity from Lowry, who drove to the basket with authority early in the second quarter.

After putting up a shot at the rim, Sims went up for a block attempt and unintentionally came down hard on Lowry’s forehead, per New York Basketball.

It took much attention from the Sixers’ medical staff to stop the bleeding. As for the game’s outcome, the 76ers couldn’t stop the bleeding on the scoreboard, losing 110-96 to the Knicks.

Fortunately, Lowry was able to speak after the game and reflect on his memorable debut, headlined by his 11 points on the night. NBC Sports’ John Clark highlighted Lowry’s comments.

The Sixers and their fans will keep their fingers crossed that the injury won’t cause Lowry to miss any time in the future.