NEW YORK — On a night in which they set a harrowing record, the Sixers also played a basketball game — featuring the return of a grizzled veteran. They lost to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, 105-91, officially losing the season series 4-0 to the team that eliminated them in an epic, intense playoff series 50 weeks prior.
Here is what stood out from Tuesday's action, from the return to the record to everything in between:
Kyle Lowry returns… but why?
With the Sixers eliminated from postseason contention, the idea of Kyle Lowry returning to action at this juncture, not even a week after turning 39 years old, might have seemed comical to many. But Lowry did just that on Tuesday, coming off the bench in his first appearance since Feb. 9. Lowry's 19th NBA season has been derailed by issues in his right hip which date back to the end of November and have prevented him from playing for the majority of the season.
Because this team does not have much to play for, Lowry's return was a surprise to many. But to those who know him well, it was not the least bit shocking. Nobody lasts nearly two decades in the NBA without a maniacal competitive spirit. Count Sixers head coach Nick Nurse as part of the group of folks not surprised by Lowry pushing to get back out there.
"He's been dealing with this hip issue for most of the season," Nurse said. "He's been working hard to try to get back, and it took some time, but he's most recently started feeling better and wants to play."
While Lowry cannot drive winning for the Sixers over the last two weeks of the season — it would not be helpful if he did due to their ongoing tanking efforts, to be fair — Nurse believes playing alongside one of the most savvy floor generals of a generation will do a lot for the young group that makes up the Sixers' remaining healthy bodies.
"Kyle does still spend a lot of time mentoring players, for sure. He spends a lot of time doing that. Even with some of the guys that are out as well," Nurse said. "Kyle's one of those guys 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. But that's leadership, right? That's part of who he is and how to lead people."
The Sixers break a brutal record
When the Sixers announced that Quentin Grimes, Lonnie Walker IV, Ricky Council IV, Justin Edwards and Adem Bona would make up their starting five on Tuesday evening, many rejoiced. Because the 2024-25 Sixers set a record for the most unique starting lineups by one team in an NBA season — with six games to spare. This was the Sixers' 52nd different starting five of the season:
History has been made: with their 52nd unique starting lineup of the season, the 2024-25 Sixers have set the NBA record for most starting fives in an NBA season, breaking the record held by the 2023-24 Memphis Grizzlies.
Here is a look at each of the Sixers' 52 starting fives: pic.twitter.com/I0IN7MYCid— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) April 1, 2025
There is absolutely no record this team could have set which would better encapsulate the nightmarish nature of their season. It is a testament to the talent deficits they have played at for the vast majority of their games, the lack of on-court continuity which has been painfully evident night after night, the team's misguided reliance on a roster filled with injury-prone players and their dreadful luck even when considering the ages and histories of those players.
Odds and ends
Some more notes and takeaways from this one:
• Plenty of New York media members asked Nurse about the meteoric rise of Grimes, the former first-round pick of the Knicks who has blossomed from a quality rotation wing to a dynamic three-level scorer. Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau raved about Grimes moments earlier, highlighting Grimes' character and work ethic. An interesting anecdote from Thibodeau: part of New York's attraction to Grimes stemmed from the fact that his college career began with a suboptimal season at Kansas, and Grimes was able to overcome the adversity when he transferred to Houston and become a more complete player.
• Another update on the Sixers' two-way players: Alex Reese was active for this game, backing up Bona at center with Guerschon Yabusele sidelined. Jeff Dowtin Jr. and Jalen Hood-Schifino were not active. With six games left in the season, Dowtin can be active for two more games, while Reese has three games of eligibility left and Hood-Schifino can dress five more times.
• Bona's stats were not particularly gaudy in this game, but with every extended appearance the rookie center seems considerably more comfortable operating against NBA-level athleticism, strength and sophistication. This last month of action could prove to be a valuable experience for Bona heading into his second season — perhaps even a formative stretch. The sooner the Sixers can trust Bona as a decision-maker on both ends of the floor, the sooner they will have a stellar backup center.
Up next: The Sixers will return home after the one-game road trip, hosting the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night.
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