Raptors’ Kyle Lowry Hits Gym After 102-96 OT Game 1 Loss To Heat

Kyle Lowry decided to hit the gym until late on Tuesday night following one of his worst performances as a point guard for the Toronto Raptors, who suffered a 102-96 overtime home loss against the Miami Heat that same night.

Raptors’ Kyle Lowry Hits Gym After 102-96 OT Game 1 Loss To Heat

Lowry, who shot 31 percent in seven games against the Indiana Pacers, shot just 3-for-13 in Game 1 of the East semifinals against the Heat, including 1-for-7 on 3-pointers. Unfortunately, his 40-footer at the buzzer that tied the game at 90 and sent it into overtime wasn’t enough to lead the Raptors to victory.

Following the game, the 30-year-old point guard decided to give himself about 30 minutes of extra work on the team’s old practice court upstairs at the Air Canada Centre. The media was told he’d be a while and waited him out for his post-game availability.

After making most of his shots, Lowry sat on the baseline by the stanchion to ponder for a while, then alternated a few shots with Raptors security chief John Altilia, before finally exiting the court in good spirits at around 12:45 ET.

The Raptors tweeted this video of Lowry’s late post-game practice:

“It sucks that I’m playing this bad when all eyes are on me because I know I’m way better than this,” Lowry had said after the game. “So I’ve got to pick this s— up.

“I passed up a lot of shots tonight,” Lowry then added. “I passed up a lot, a ton of shots actually. I think that’s what (his shooting skid) did to me a little bit.”

Lowry also expressed his frustration with a trend he’d noticed of him shooting better after games, when he’s by himself. He has been dealing with a right elbow injury since late March.

Dwayne Wade scored seven of his 24 points in overtime for the Heat in Tuesday night’s game, outscoring the Raptors by himself in the extra session. He also got a few steals, including a key one over DeMar DeRozan with 10 seconds remaining to race to the other end and score a bucket to seal the victory. Wade also added six rebounds, four assists, and two blocks.

The Heat’s backcourt carried the offensive load. Goran Dragic — Lowry’s former backup with the Houston Rockets — raced through the Toronto defense and drilled tough contested shots en route to a game-high 26 points on 10-for-20 shooting — 18 of which came after halftime — along with six rebounds and two assists in 41 minutes. Dragic added 26 points for Miami.

Lowry and DeRozan combined to score 29 points for the Raptors, who are now 1-9 all-time in the first game of a playoff series, with five of those losses coming at home. Game 2 is set for Thursday night in Toronto.

PHOTO: TORONTO, ON – MAY 03: Kyle Lowry #7 of the Toronto Raptors dribbles the ball in the second half of Game One of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Miami Heat during the 2016 NBA Playoffs at the Air Canada Centre on May 3, 2016 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Article by Pablo Mena