A nagging left hamstring injury has limited Kyle Lowry’s role and effectiveness in the 2022 playoffs.

Miami point guard Kyle Lowry started in the Heat’s 109-103 Game 3 victory of the Eastern Conference finals Saturday night against the Boston Celtics. The 36-year-old playmaker finished with 11 points, six assists and four steals in 29 minutes of action, including a key theft of a Boston inbounds pass in the final minute to help seal the game.

P.J. Tucker was also in Miami’s starting lineup after exiting Game 2 with a left knee injury, and finished with 17 points on 50% shooting.

Lowry had not played for Miami since Game 4 of the semifinal matchup with the 76ers. The veteran point guard  missed the final two games of that series and has stayed sidelined through the first two games of the Eastern Conference finals, which the Heat have split with the Celtics.

Lowry had struggled in the playoffs overall, averaging 6.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game — down from his regular-season average of 13.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 7.5 apg.

He missed four games earlier in the postseason because of the hamstring problem, then aggravated it in Miami’s Game 4 loss to the 76ers. Lowry continued playing through much of that game, limping at times and finishing 3-for-10 from the floor, 0-for-6 on 3-pointers.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.