In the midst of the Philadelphia 76ers’ blowout win over the Toronto Raptors in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup, Kyle Lowry and Ben Simmons got tangled up on the baseline after a missed shot. Simmons fell, and in the heat of the moment, threw an elbow directly into Lowry’s groin. Lowry crumpled to the ground as Simmons ran back down court, and with referee Scott Foster already on his way to the other end, too, nothing was called.
After the game, Lowry told ESPN that Simmons apologized to him at halftime before essentially dismissing the incident because of the eventual outcome of the game.
“Yeah, he said it at halftime,” Lowry told ESPN. “Said he didn’t mean to. Scott [Foster, the referee] didn’t call it on the floor. It’s not like I’m going to dwell on it or bitch about it. It happened. It’s over now.
“We got our ass kicked after. It didn’t matter.”
The 76ers did indeed blitz the Raptors in the second half, including a 27-14 fourth quarter that put the game out of reach for Toronto. Lowry had an abysmal game, scoring just seven points on 2-10 shooting as his playoff woes continued, and his inability to help Kawhi Leonard carry the offensive load is something he’s well aware of.
“We’ve got to help (Kawhi),” Lowry said. “I was literally saying it during the game. We have to help him. He’s doing everything he can possibly do offensively and defensively to f—ing win games, and myself, I’m not helping him enough.”
Lowry said he won’t personally ask the league to review Simmons’ elbow. The pivotal Game 4 of the series is set for Sunday.
