If Kyle Lowry was already considered the greatest Raptor of all time before the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks, then Game 1 of that series cemented his status.
Right from the opening tip, the Toronto Raptors were playing with the energy and intensity of an underdog team against the Eastern Conference’s leading squad.
Lowry was the impetus of this stellar play.
Despite the Raptors losing 108-100 in Game 1 to the Bucks, Lowry ensured the team still had a chance to win, putting up 30 points and eight rebounds on 10-of-15 shooting from the field.
“They got a whole bunch of athletic guards running at him, limiting his touches,” Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said post-game. “It was good he can get the ball as much as he did and stepped into all of them.”
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While Kawhi Leonard led the team in scoring with 31 points, Lowry was more impactful on both ends of the floor. His seven three-pointers set a new career playoff high, providing the Raptors with a chance to win as the Bucks took the lead in the fourth quarter.
Lowry was also a force inside, securing three offensive rebounds to give the Raptors second chance opportunities. On the defensive end, Lowry was effective in slowing the Bucks in transition, the blueprint of their half-court offense. Milwaukee shot just 39.8 percent from the field and committed 12 turnovers.
The Bucks take Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals with a 108-100 win over the Raptors.
Milwaukee closed the game on a 10-0 run.
Kyle Lowry was the only Raptors player to make a FG in the 4th quarter.
(Lowry: 5-7 | Rest of team: 0-15) pic.twitter.com/602VU4Ckvh— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 16, 2019
One of those was a Lowry steal on Bucks small forward Khris Middleton at 7:16 remaining in the fourth quarter, allowing the Raptor point guard to secure the layup.
“Every time he let it go tonight,” Nurse said, “you were like, ‘That’s going in.”
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Unfortunately for the Raptors, their depth of scoring disappeared in the fourth quarter. While the Bucks defense tightened up in the final frame, the Raptor players did have some solid looks at shots.
It was Lowry, however, who supplied the scoring. Every shot that he put up, there was a good chance it was going in. He scored 14 points in the fourth quarter, along with three three-pointers.
The rest of the Raptors were 0-of-15.
Toronto Raptors Fourth Quarter Scoring | FG | FGA | 3P | 3PA | PTS |
Pascal Siakam | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Kawhi Leonard | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Kyle Lowry | 5 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 14 |
Marc Gasol | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Danny Green | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Serge Ibaka | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fred VanVleet | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Norman Powell | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
“The fourth quarter killed us,” Lowry said. “Turnovers, missed shots. We just didn’t execute as sharply as we could have. I’ve got to go back and watch the film. I think we got a couple of good shots and we missed some shots, but we just didn’t finish the game well. We just didn’t play well. Just didn’t finish the game.”
In the NBA Playoffs, winning is the ultimate goal. There is no consolation for dropping a critical road game, even if it involves achieving a personal best.
For Lowry, it demonstrated the mantra that he has brought to the Raptors franchise throughout his whole career.
When his team needs him, he delivers.
Game 1 proved that, despite a crushing defeat.