The Miami Heat nearly took a 3-0 lead against the Atlanta Hawks in their opening round series of the eastern conference playoffs. Instead, they lost a tight ball game and now have a series on their hands. The series just got even harder as news surfaced that Heat veteran point guard Kyle Lowry has been ruled out for Game 4 Sunday, according to Shams Charania.

Lowry left Game 3's loss in the third quarter due to a hamstring injury. The Heat do not have much depth at point guard. It's possible that Tyler Herro, Sixth Man of the Year frontrunner, will be moved into the starting lineup. That considerably hurts the Heat's depth at guard.

Duncan Robinson will likely play extended minutes without Lowry in the lineup. Gabe Vincent played a playoff-high 18 minutes in Game 3, and will also have to play a role Sunday. It's also possible fans finally get a glimpse of Victor Oladipo.

Had the ending of Game 3 been different, this would not be nearly as important of a development. Hawks superstar Trae Young hit a tough floater in the lane with a few seconds left, sinking the Heat and their chances at a 3-0 strangle hold in the series.

Instead, the Hawks are probably smelling blood in the water now. If they can win Game 4 at home, they send the series back to South Beach tied 2-2 with pressure on Miami.

Lowry isn't just a very good point guard, he is the most experienced player on the team. The Heat point guard helped the Toronto Raptors win an NBA title just a couple years ago and has been one of the most consistent point guards in the NBA for over a decade.