Kyle Lowry hit a half court buzzer beater to force OT on Tuesday night but overall he’s had a poor showing in the 2016 playoffs.
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The Heat came out firing in the third, making 58 percent of their shots as they outscored Toronto 27-20 to take a five-point lead into the fourth.
Backcourt mate Kyle Lowry didn’t fare any better, averaging 13.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.9 turnovers while making just 31.6 percent of his field-goal attempts and 16.3 percent of his three-point tries. “I got so many phone calls and texts from people who just care about me in general, fellow National Basketball Association players, and just friends of mine supporting me. Because I know I’m way better than this”.
“It sucks that I’m playing this bad”, Lowry said.
Kyle Lowry made a decision to stick around at Air Canada Centre after Tuesday’s loss to the Miami Heat in order to work on his jumpshot, which has failed him throughout the postseason.
A day after announcing that Chris Bosh wouldn’t return in the postseason, the Heat can quickly move halfway to ending Toronto’s first second-round appearance since 2001.
Game 2 of the second-round series will be Thursday night in Toronto. Toronto got the ball back after a Miami turnover on the inbounds play, but Wade stripped the ball from DeRozan and sealed it with a three-point play. Wade, who slipped on the pass, said afterward bruised his right knee on the play.
Miami shot 57.9 percent in the third quarter erasing a two-point halftime deficit and took a 68-63 lead into the fourth. Lowry had seven on 3-of-13 shooting. After one of the best seasons in franchise history (and what could have been one of the greatest shots in franchise history, in Lowry’s heave), the Raptors rallied multiple times, but they have now ceded home-court advantage back to the Heat.
Dragic had a huge game for the Heat.
The Raptors went with another new starting lineup – Norm Powell instead of Patrick Patterson along with Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, DeMarre Carroll and Jonas Valanciunas to get matchups they felt more amenable because it allowed Powell to guard Dwyane Wade with Carroll on Joe Johnson and DeRozan on Luol Deng. But aside from that prayer, the Raptors struggled mightily at both scoring and defending the perimeter.
“It’s surprising to me that he’s struggled in the playoffs because I know him well”, Dragic said. That shot wasn’t the difference in the ball game, but it once again highlighted the Raptors vulnerability along the perimeter. “Everybody goes through those moments when you’ve lost the touch a little bit”. It was the kind of bucket that seemed destined to lead the Raptors’ commemorative DVD of playoff highlights, but it was rendered meaningless when the Raps went on to lose 102-96 in overtime.
Jonas Valanciunas led the team with a 24-point, 14-rebound double-double.
Teammates remain positive, and are encouraging Lowry to continue to look for his shot.
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Coach Dwane Casey couldn’t help but feel his team had given one away. “We’re not going to change the offense or anything like that”. We have to believe in him.
