Every once in a while, Kyle Lowry has one of these nights. The kind that reminds everyone just how integral he is to this team’s success. The kind that proves once again that the Raptors will go only as far as he’ll take them. (via ArdenZwelling)
Despite missing four of the five shots he took, Lowry went into the locker room at halftime with game-highs in assists , rebounds , and plus/minus . He played effortful, hounding defence; he hit an early-clock, pull-up three in the midst of an 18-0 run; he drew his team-leading 20th charge of the season. He played so well in the second quarter that Nurse didn’t dare take him off the floor, leaving him out for the entire dozen minutes.
And we can go on. Lowry deflected a team-high four passes. No one else had more than one. He tied withfor the team lead in contested shots with nine, and Kawhi Leonard for the lead in fouls drawn with five. He played 35 minutes, five more than any other player in the game, and was still one of the most active, talkative Raptors on the bench during stoppages in play.
Leonard’s uncommonly talented in a league of uncommon talents, and capable of carrying an offence with little help from the four players operating around him. Siakam’s a monster, and liable to be Toronto’s best player on any given night if defences don’t respect his ability. Ibaka and Gasol form one of the NBA’s most capable centre tandems, and will have games in which they give opposition big men fits. But Lowry’s the one who can make them all click at once.