Kyle Lowry will miss Sixers’ game vs. Cavaliers, but De’Anthony Melton will return

Kyle Lowry will miss the 76ers’ Friday home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, as he continues to ramp up his conditioning after joining the team off the buyout market just before the All-Star break.

Lowry, the Philly native and former Villanova star, completed his Sixers debut Thursday with 11 points, five assists, and four rebounds in a loss to the New York Knicks. It was the 37-year-old Lowry’s first game action since Jan. 21, before he was traded from the Miami Heat to the Charlotte Hornets and then bought out after the trade deadline. Lowry also took a blow to the forehead in Thursday’s first half, and received seven stitches before returning to the court.

» READ MORE: Kyle Lowry’s Philly rise said a lot about his NBA success. Just ask his Cardinal Dougherty teammates.

After this back-to-back, the Sixers have another quick turnaround for an intriguing Sunday afternoon matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks and former coach Doc Rivers.

De’Anthony Melton, meanwhile, is available to return Friday from a spine issue that has sidelined him the majority of the past seven weeks. Melton, who is known for his perimeter defensive activity and long-range shooting, was a starting guard alongside Tyrese Maxey before his injury — though the Sixers have since acquired Lowry and Buddy Hield

Starting forward Nico Batum is also available to play Friday, after entering the game listed as questionable with hamstring injury recovery. The veteran returned from a nine-game absence on Thursday against the Knicks, when he did not take a shot against and finished with three rebounds and one assist in 18 minutes.

The Sixers have lost 10 of their past 13 games, but won in Cleveland on Feb. 12.