Why did Kyle Lowry return from injury for the tanking Sixers? ‘We don’t know how long this game is going to last’

NEW YORK — As Adem Bona prepared to step to the free throw line during the second quarter Tuesday, Kyle Lowry approached Lonnie Walker IV for a conversation that turned so animated that one could spot it from the opposite corner of Madison Square Garden’s upper deck.

Walker later revealed that he had attempted a difficult layup less than a minute earlier, and Lowry challenged his new 76ers teammate to be more aware and make the proper passing read.

Lowry has never been shy about directing teammates, and these new-look Sixers got a dose of it during this stretch run. The 19-year veteran point guard made a somewhat unexpected return from a hip ailment that has plagued him for the bulk of the season, going scoreless but totaling two assists and two steals in 16 minutes, 10 seconds off the bench in a 105-91 loss to the Knicks in his first game since Feb. 9.

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But why did the North Philly native and former Villanova star opt to come back at all, given the state of this 23-53 team that is better off losing games to improve its draft lottery odds?

“I love this game at the highest level,” Lowry said postgame. “It’s provided me, my family, my friends with everything that I could actually ask for. So why not try to be able to play and just have fun?

“We don’t know how long this game is going to last for each individual, so go out there and enjoy the process.”

Lowry squashed an attempt to further ask about how much thought he has put into the potential that these could be his final NBA moments, saying “we’ll get there when it gets there.” But the six-time All-Star turned 39 last week and had acknowledged the frustration of this season even before an injury setback turned into a nearly two-month absence.

Back on the floor Tuesday, Lowry snatched the ball out of the hands of former Toronto Raptors teammate OG Anunoby in the first quarter, then pushed it the other way. He baited a defender into a foul with a pesky rip-through move. His only shot attempt, a corner three-pointer early in the fourth quarter, rattled out. He chatted with officials during timeouts and with fellow point guard Jared Butler when they came off the floor together in the second quarter.

The two eight-minute stretches were more than coach Nick Nurse anticipated Lowry would play. At one point, Lowry shared the floor with four teammates — Butler, Walker, Quentin Grimes, and Alex Reese — who were not on the roster at the beginning of February. Yet Grimes — with whom Nurse wants to experiment more at point guard as part of the team’s evaluation before he hits restricted free agency — said he valued the in-the-moment organization and vocal leadership Lowry provided.

“It was good to have a guy like that telling me where I should be able to get more and more comfortable out there in my scoring role,” said Grimes, who finished with 26 points and five assists. “He was trying to get me open looks, so I was very happy to have him out there, for sure.”

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Added Lowry: “My job is to help these guys get a little bit better, get some more experience. But it’s just fun to play basketball. It’s just fun to have some new faces and new thoughts. It makes my brain work a little harder to try to figure out what these guys have to do, what I can help them get better at.”

Early in the season, Nurse said he planned to play Lowry between 15 and 20 minutes per game as the backup to star point guard Tyrese Maxey. But Lowry initially injured his hip in November, leading to a stretch in which he clearly was not moving comfortably on the court and shot 7-of-44 from three in 21 games from Nov. 6 to Jan. 28. He is averaging 3.9 points on 34.8% shooting, 2.8 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 34 games.

The man who once relished taking charges recognized he “can’t run through everything” anymore. Lowry said he chuckled to himself when Maxey created the space to launch a three-pointer during a 43-point outburst against the Los Angeles Lakers on Jan. 28 and thought, “Man, I remember when it was that easy to get shots off and have the confidence to do that.”

» READ MORE: Sixers just another mediocre franchise these days. Big-time contracts may continue to set them back.

Instead, Lowry has embraced an even greater mentorship role. He has continued to travel with the Sixers and has been a boisterous presence on the bench and in the locker room.

On Tuesday, he praised the development of Grimes and rookie Justin Edwards, two bright spots during a mostly disastrous and injury-riddled season. Lowry also has worked closely with Maxey and rookie Jared McCain, who are expected to make up the Sixers’ backcourt of the future.

Those teammates have reciprocated their appreciation for Lowry throughout the season. Maxey said Lowry has helped him handle the bevy of defensive coverages he has faced while Joel Embiid has been sidelined with an ongoing knee issue. Edwards, whose home locker is next to Lowry’s, quickly learned a lesson when he acknowledged to Lowry that he was tired and Lowry responded with, “Don’t ever say that again.”

“Kyle’s one of those guys,” Nurse said Tuesday, “that, if you’re going to go out there and play hard and play the right way, he’s probably going to try to help you. And if you’re not, probably not.

“That is leadership. That’s part of who he is and how to lead people.”

Lowry was tight-lipped when asked about his injury treatment and recovery process, saying it took “a long time” to get the hip healthy enough to play again. After flare-ups over several weeks, Nurse added that Lowry has felt better in recent days and “wants to play.” He went through his pregame routine before Sunday’s home game against the Raptors, signaling his effort to return. Next, Lowry and Nurse said they must cautiously wait to see how the player’s body responds before determining how they move forward.

But for at least one game at the Garden, this version of the Sixers received a dose of in-game Lowry. And his animated second-quarter conversation with Walker was a prime example of everything that entails.

“Even if you don’t want to hear it or whatnot, it’s best to listen,” Walker said. “Because he knows the game. He’s been playing for 19 years. So the respect, it wasn’t given, it was earned. He’s been a hell of a player, All-Star player, you name it. He’s done it all.

“To have a player like that on this team — and to be able to listen to him and grow and see what you’ve got to get better at — it’s a very grateful moment.”