Kyle Lowry played Thursday night. He wasn’t supposed to, not after a pulsating, big-game loss in Boston, but the 32-year-old point guard got back to Toronto and his aching back felt good enough. He’s still not in shape after missing most of three weeks with an injury that required pain- and inflammation-reducing injections. So in a game against one of the worst teams in basketball, he played.
The Raptors may not have needed him against the Phoenix Suns, but they need him. It was a tough game in Boston and Wednesday between two of the best teams in basketball, and down the stretch the Raptors just couldn’t execute.