Raptors fans owe the world to Kyle Lowry. In the 2019 NBA Finals, the guard helped the Raptors upset the favored Warriors in six games to win their first championship. To this day, the six-time All-Star is the franchise leader in assists and made 3-pointers.
On Sunday, during a pregame interview, Lowry told the Associated Press, “I missed everything about the city, the country, the organization. It’s a lot to miss.” Not only did the fanbase welcome Lowry’s return to Scotiabank Arena with a standing ovation, they released a touching tribute video.
Also, Lowry went on to state, “It’s a place I called home for a long time. I won a lot of basketball games here, set a lot of records here. I’ve got a banner hanging up in there. It’s just a special place. It’s not my home building anymore, but it’s a place I’ll always call home.”
Of course, as part of a sign-and-trade deal with the Heat, the 16-year veteran was traded by the Raptors on Aug. 6, 2021. Lowry signed a 3-year, $85 million contract before the move. In exchange, Toronto received Precious Achiuwa and Goran Dragic. According to Basketball Reference, the Pennsylvania-born player has a hall-of-fame probability of 85.7%.
Lowry on Scottie Barnes: "He's a special talent. He's gonna be a cornerstone of the franchise. He fits in perfectly here – how hard he plays, how passionate he is for the game. And he's only gonna continue to get better. I just told him to keep going, don't stop"
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) April 4, 2022
Furthermore, when asked about Scottie Barnes’ potential, Lowry said, “He’s a special talent. He’s gonna be a cornerstone of the franchise. He fits in perfectly here — how hard he plays, how passionate he is for the game. And he’s only gonna continue to get better. I just told him to keep going, don’t stop.”
Heat defeat Raptors 114-109 at Scotiabank Arena
As expected, the Heat defeated the Raptors 114-109 on Sunday. Miami is now on a four-game winning streak. Kyle Lowry ended his performance with another career double-double. He amassed 16 points, 6.0 rebounds and 10 assists in 35 minutes played. Miami outscored Toronto 69-54 in the second half.
Although the Raptors shot a fair 12-for-39 (30.8%) from behind the arc, the Heat put on an excellent show for Lowry. They finished 18-for-38 (47.4%) from 3-point range. In a total of 62 games played this season, Lowry has averaged 13.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game.
Miami remains at the top of the Eastern Conference standings. However, the Heat are only two games ahead of the Celtics and have a 2.5-game lead over the Bucks and 76ers. As for the Raptors, they have the same record as the Bulls. Both contenders are fighting to maintain their playoff spots. The 2021-22 NBA regular season ends on Apr. 10.
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