Kyle Lowry Confident 76ers can Remain Competitive in Joel Embiid's Absence

At the end of January, the Philadelphia 76ers' season took a turn for the worst. During a matchup against the Golden State Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga awkwardly fell on Joel Embiid. This resulted in the reigning MVP sustaining a knee injury that has kept in on the sidelines. 

Between Embiid and other key players sustaining injuries, the Sixers went through a rough skid leading up to the All-Star break. Since Embiid got hurt, they went 3-5 and dropped to fifth in the Eastern Conference standings. 

Despite Embiid being out for an unknown amount of time, Daryl Morey still made upgrades at the trade deadline. The Sixers acquired Buddy Hield from the Indiana Pacers, and signed former All-Star Kyle Lowry following a buyout. 

Heading into the final stretch of the season, the Sixers are still without their franchise big man. Even with him on the sidelines, Lowry is more than confident the group can remain competitive in his absence. 

“I think we’ve still got talent. You’ve got an All-Star in Tyrese Maxey. You’ve got a guy in Tobias Harris who is very skilled, very talented. And you’ve got a bunch of other guys who want to be good and play hard," Lowry told reporters Wednesday. "You’ve got guys who are Swiss Army knives on defense; they’re athletic, they can do a lot of things. So it’s just about finding a rhythm and groove with each other and playing hard.”

Coming out of the break, the Sixers faced off against Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks. Along with getting some key starters back, Lowry also made his debut in the matchup.