Getty Kyle Lowry holds the Larry O'Brien Trophy during the Toronto Raptors' 2019 NBA championship parade.
Sunday was a huge night for the Miami Heat, as the team won its fourth straight game against a surging Raptors squad in Toronto. In doing so, the Heat extended their lead over the No. 2 Celtics to two full games with just three left to play.
As big as the night was for the team, though, it was even bigger for point guard Kyle Lowry.
The game marked Lowry’s first return to Toronto — a city where he spent the better part of a decade and won an NBA championship in 2019 — since February 28 of 2020. And the six-time All-Star was greeted in his return with a tear-jerking highlight package and multiple standing ovations.
After the contest, Lowry didn’t mince words when describing what it all meant to him.
Lowry Sounds off on His Big Return
“This is crazy, man. You guys witnessed one of the greatest sets of fans in the world, and this is a place I’ll always call home,” Lowry told Bally Sports Sun postgame. “I played for the organization nine years. A lot of blood, sweat and tears in here. I’m just appreciative of the moment… that I’m appreciated like this, you know what I mean?”
It wasn’t just a big night for sentimental reasons, though. In addition to the Heat extending their lead at the top of the standings, Lowry gave another vintage performance in the win.
Over 34 minutes of play, the 36-year-old put up 16 points on 4-of-8 shooting (including two triples) and added 10 assists, six rebounds and a steal. Meanwhile, Miami was plus-eight when he was on the floor.
While his individual game was clearly firing on all cylinders, Lowry made a point to give some of the credit for the output to his teammates.
“Bam [Adebayo] is setting great screens right now, [Dewayne] Dedmon and [Omer Yurtseven]… Those guys are setting good screens,” he said. “I know, when it comes down to it, they’re gonna try to take those guys away — the lob threats, the easy passes. So, for me, it’s just taking the easy shots that are there.”
The latest Heat news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Heat newsletter here!
An Everlasting Bond
The game’s result and his own performance notwithstanding, Lowry was perhaps most impressed by the love he received throughout the night.
“It meant the world to me for the fans to show their appreciation, give me an ovation like that,” Lowry said. “It was one of those things where, the first time is always special, and you don’t forget that.”
Lowry also raved about the effort the Raptors put into the occasion. As he sees it, the festivities went a long way toward showing what his former organization is all about, not to mention how great his part in it continues to be.
“I think that the organization, they showed how classy they are and they showed me that everything I did here meant the world to them just like vice-versa.”
READ NEXT:
Comments
Heat’s Kyle Lowry Sends Emotional Message on Triumphant Homecoming