After the Raptors beat the Pacers in Kyle Lowry’s return, Nick Nurse gave his thoughts about what he saw of the bench and Norman Powell.
He was really good tonight. Forget that he was 10-12. Forget that, to me he was guarding. Like, noticeably guarding and making life difficult for Bogdanovic, Oladipo, all those guys. That was why I let him roll. I liked what he was doing defensively. It’s nice that he chipped in 23. He just looks fast and fresh and athletic and strong.
On managing Lowry in the game:
[He was] good, just a little winded a couple times but good. I tried to keep his stints shorter and subbed him a little strangely tonight for him. I was trying to keep him at the longest six minutes.
On whether he cringes when Kyle takes charges right after coming back from injury:
I probably should but I’m not really thinking about that. I’m thinking about what a play that guy makes for his team.
Nurse also spoke about the bench which outscored their Pacer counterparts 52-27:
It was great. We had two long stretches with the [bench] on a night when you need that. Two long extended sessions for [the bench] where they get into the 20s plus which is rare lately for us. It was a good night for them to do it. It was good to hear them after the game last night be a little upset. It was good to hear them talking and admitting that they weren’t good, and that they were going to come with some fire and juice today, and they did.
When asked if there’s a particular bench player that was vocal, he singled out Delon Wright:
Delon Wright was the one I noticed the most that was talking. He stepped up right afterwards last night and said that I wasn’t good enough, and I heard him again today in the locker-room saying that I gotta bring more.
Lowry also spoke to the media and was asked whether he was out longer than anticipated:
Definitely. Oh, hell yeah. I expected to be back quick. I thought the Philly game was going to be the game, but the back didn’t respond the right way. We had to be smarter about the next move. I have to pay attention to everything I have to do now, and stay healthy, and make sure it’s not an ongoing issue.
Lowry was also asked how his back felt and acknowledge this is a lingering thing:
It was good. Couple things that made it a little sore. It’s something that won’t go completely away but we have to maintain it and make sure it’s as minimum as possible.
Here’s Nick Nurse’s press conference and here’s Kyle Lowry post-game interview.
