Kyle Lowry’s Heat maintenance program all about this moment – The Denver Post

Patience in a playoff race can test the limits of both coach and player.

It was a lesson learned by Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra immediately upon Kyle Lowry’s return from a month out of action due to knee pain.

So, no, the plan on March 11 was not to play the 37-year-old veteran point guard 36:09 in his first game back in that overtime road loss to the Orlando Magic.

“I felt we were very disciplined, except for the head coach the first game he came back,” Spoelstra said Monday with a smile.

Since then, a slow build back to speed toward this play-in round, including Tuesday night’s win-and-in game against the Atlanta Hawks at Kaseya Center, the new name of the Heat’s arena.

Utilized only in reserve.

Held out for one of the two games in back-to-back sets.

No more than 27…