From the ashes of the first match, Lowry the leader gets up

The last time Kyle Lowry started a playoff series on his back – in 2017 against the Milwaukee Bucks – he did not handle the situation well.

Lowry scored four points. The Raptors have lost. Subsequently, he blamed the game planning, dropped his teammates and cursed his own luck. After a little thought, he decided that the best course of action was to build his own center and climb it.

"I guess I'm going to have some strokes," Lowry said.

The important part – it was much better next time and Toronto won.

Lowry was very underweight in this year's playoff opener. However, he was less aggressive as a result. He did not escape from blame. He did not promise anything.

Here is the new Lowry, the middle aged state man. Ironically, the first game in hand was the opportunity for him to show it.

Tuesday night, he scored his first point of the series within 90 seconds of his prognosis. On a free kick. After missing the first of two. With the crowd on his feet, making as much noise as all the series.

It is supposed that the acclamations were supposed to seem favorable. Instead, he turned out to be very condescending and extremely Toronto.

When Lowry planted three minutes later, the reaction was more spontaneous. The situation was back to normal between Lowry and his fans – they loved him and were suspicious of him; Marv Levy explains how listening to fans leads to becoming so.

Subsequently, Lowry had a line of men 's statistics of the match: 22 points, seven assists.

What's changed?

"I made a few shots," said Lowry, then let the silence last a long minute. This man can have more fun at a press conference than in the field.

The best player of the evening was Kawhi Leonard. There have been only a few sporadic opportunities this year to see what Toronto got when it traded for a single year of Leonard's services.

Now that everyone is paying attention, Leonard (37 points) has decided to show it. When the mood takes him, he can do what he likes there.

So good news – this series has returned to normal operation. It's Orlando's role to be brave and Toronto's to punish him.

From the end, it was directed in one direction. The Toronto defense has arrived. The offense generated less leaks. The result was a loss of 111-82, the biggest margin of victory in post-season history in Toronto.

Despite the result, there is still room for improvement. Danny Green was a non-offensive factor. Marc Gasol was so-so. The bench did not do much, even if it was not asked.

The Raptors playoff cap is still several feet above their collective heads.

But Toronto's wand of divination was, is, and (until he leaves his post or is disinvited) will always be Lowry. Even with Leonard on hand, where Lowry goes, the Raptors seem to follow.

No one will be surprised that after two days of constant mockery, Lowry has committed his swirling dervish act – lots of shouting, turning and beating around the ground. Lowry has many skills and none has been as well developed as the thrust of words in the throat.

This is the most charming part of Lowry's genius – his ability to divide people.

After scoring a zero on Saturday, Orlando coach Steve Clifford said, "He played a fantastic match."

His own coach, Nick Nurse, has been trying to get lost: "There are many other guys who could have played better the other night as well."

The nurse went astray in a train of thought that quickly derailed.

"I must also take some responsibility for that. I thought Kyle was really well placed in the last half of the season, "Nurse said. "He was not good enough to influence the game on the scoreboard the other night. I have to do everything I can to help him succeed. "

Such as? Hold it around the waist and push it while it's taking its jump shot?

It is a martyrdom that is a recurring theme in this city that has never helped. Lowry's low sense of opportunity is on Lowry. That's why he's so paid.

In Toronto, Lowry averaged a truly horrible offensive performance each season. Last year, it was a five-point win over Cleveland in the white flag match that ended the series.

It was Lowry's tendency to trade these vampires with DeMar DeRozan at the right time, precisely at the wrong time, which amplified their horror. He is in fact a playoff performer. Not terrible, notice. The big win. But much less terrible than his reputation.

At the start of the playoffs, everyone reminded us of Lowry's new position on this team. He's no longer a featured artist. He is the conductor.

His new personal theme is "toughness and leadership". You can use quotes because the wording never changes, no matter who is speaking. The coach, the player, his teammates. Everyone has the same points of discussion.

The unspoken part of this is that Lowry should no longer score. (Although he is supposed to score more than zero.) Leonard assumes this duty. Pascal Siakam, Gasol and Serge Ibaka also intervene.

Thirteen years in his NBA career, in a team full of potential, Lowry has become a fan of glue. People should be prepared for a few extra nights during this race.

It is unorthodox. But Lowry has put everything in place so that if the team wins, it's his decision to change. If they lose, it's the coach's fault.

This type of defensive coverage already bears witness to Lowry's elite leadership. The hard aspect will be motivated by other performances such as Tuesday when people will tell him that he is the best again.