Raptors' Kyle Lowry's halfcourt shot not enough to earn Game 1 win

TORONTO — The story was going to be all about his shooting, but then he made that shot.

With the Toronto Raptors down 90-87 with just over two seconds left on the clock in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series against the Miami Heat, Kyle Lowry — the same Lowry that couldn’t buy a basket all game — hit a shot from half-court, tying and sending the game into an improbable overtime on Tuesday night.

It could have been a fairy tale ending, one the Raptors and Lowry would have gladly taken following four shaky quarters of basketball. But the Heat opened the five minutes of extra time with an 8-0 run and the Raptors couldn’t erase the deficit, falling 102-96 to drop the opening game of the second-round series.

Prior to that, Lowry had looked pedestrian for much of the game, finishing 3-for-13 (23%) shooting with seven points, six assists and four rebounds. His poor shooting is a theme that’s continued from the first-round series against the Indiana Pacers. In those seven games, the Raptors point guard shot just 31% from the field. There is the chance that he's being slowed down by a sore elbow, though neither Lowry or the team has confirmed whether the bursitis that he dealt with earlier this season is still affecting him.

When asked about making the game-tying basket, Lowry was quick to say, “It didn’t mean anything  — we lost the game.”

Which is perhaps why the story has to come back to Lowry’s shooting — or lack there of.

“I know I’m not playing well at all. We got out of that one series with me not playing well, shooting the ball well. But we got to get out of this next series and I have to play better, shoot the ball better, score the ball better.

Following the game, Lowry hit the practice court, where, by the way, he says, his shots are landing just fine. “I shoot the ball well when I’m by myself,” he said, before adding with a chuckle, “it’s a big difference when you’re by yourself and you got 10 guys.”

Lowry described his slump — which stretches back into the end of the regular season — as both “mind-boggling” and “frustrating.” It’s not the first one he’s experienced in his career, though it may be the one being broadcast to the biggest audience.

“That’s what’s frustrating,” he said. “I mean, listen, playoffs all eyes are on you. It sucks that I’m playing this bad when all eyes are on me cause I know I’m way better than this.”

Raptors head coach Dwane Casey said Lowry contributes in more ways than just scoring, though he believes the All-Star will find his way out of this rough stretch.

“Even though he didn’t shoot the ball I thought in stretches down the stretch he got stuff done. I thought his bulldog tenacity set the tone for us defensively. Again, we know he is not shooting the ball well; he’s not making plays, the shot he normally makes. He is just like a hitter. Hitters go through slumps and he’s there. But again, we have to believe in him; we do believe in him. He’s going to come out of it."

His teammates, Lowry said, are also eager to see him rediscover his scoring touch and with the Raptors once again down 0-1 to open a playoff series, the sooner Lowry finds it, the better.

“They’ve been supportive through the whole thing. They really are looking for me to keep going and keep pushing. That’s one of the factors that keeps me going cause my teammates, they really want me to get out of it. And I want to win games and play well for them.”

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