NBA Playoffs 2019: Kyle Lowry is well taken over for Raptors in the second game against Magic, and it was not about his points



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Early in the beginning of a 111-82 win in the second game against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, Toronto Raptors goaltender, Kyle Lowry, performed one of the most basic basketball games: the vault. and forth. As soon as he centered the ball in the center of Marc Gasol, Lowry ran towards him, received a transfer and pioneered a path to the basket, shooting a foul on Magic's center, Nikola Vucevic . It was an encouraging sign, not because his move to the free throw line allowed Lowry not to score, as he did in the first game of the series, but because it revealed his mentality. Lowry was at the attack.

At its best, Lowry is a roaming and relentless ball of energy. He did not become a star player because of his individual qualities or athleticism. he has arrived there by combining the basketball IQ that all the elite leaders possess with the attitude and fearlessness of a neglected backing. Defending Lowry is a chore because it never stops moving, never lets you down and always looks for small benefits to exploit. His style is utilitarian, more effective than exciting – he's the kind of player who laughs at the idea of ​​trying to make fanciful maneuvers – and he's rude. That's why this season has been a little odd for him.

In 2018-2019, Lowry took a significant step back in terms of use and firing attempts. Nick Nurse, the new Toronto gillling coach, said in December that he would like Lowry to take 10 3s per game, but he also recently said he could lead the team to a win "no matter if he scored four or 34 "points, via ESPN. This is true because these raptors are structured differently from those of past years. Kawhi Leonard is definitely their best player, and Lowry's willingness to differ has facilitated the emergence of the most improved player leader, Pascal Siakam, and Marc Gasol's quick integration. Lowry started the season on fire and shot well during most of the second half of the season, but between games he missed shots without looking sure of him. It's hard to find a rhythm when you're thinking of involving other players. It's hard when you think at all.

The debate between Lowry between the games on Saturday and Tuesday was quickly tiring. He has been described as a playoff player despite all the evidence of recent years suggesting otherwise. On television, many players became analysts said that it was unacceptable that an All-Star was aimless, as if his evening was an insult to All-Stardom. Just before giving his opinion, Charles Barkley of TNT always explained that he preferred to go from 0 to 14 years, from 0 to 7, with all the machismo you expect. None of this would probably have happened if Lowry had made only two of his six 3-point attempts, most of which were open, and which the Raptors had managed to win.

The noisiest supporters of Lowry, on the other hand, pointed out to him that he was a plus-11 and argued that his contributions should never be judged solely on marks or failures. Orlando coach Steve Clifford told reporters that Lowry was great and "put a ton of pressure on us." Lowry himself stated that he "had played the game in a good way and had missed some shots". All of this also missed the target – even if you believe that most critics were lazy, this would amount to criticizing him for saying that he has met his standards. The length of the magic seemed to bother him and he was not playing with the urgency or the decision you needed in the playoffs. Part of this can be attributed to Orlando's feeling, which could explain his earlier struggles in the early parts. I thought the smart guy was thinking too much.

His second match can be described as a rebound performance. Lowry had 22 points on 8 shots at 13, plus seven assists, four rebounds and two interceptions. What struck me, though, was not the rating.

He attacked Aaron Gordon and Vucevic, two men much bigger than him:

He had a sneaky look when Magic lost track:

On three occasions, he placed Siakam in a position to make a very good game from Kyle Lowry – the first, blocking D.J. Augustin, the man who dominated him in the first match; second, steal a ridiculous bounce in a sea of ​​Magic players; third, poking the ball away from a driving Evan Fournier:

These games are why Lowry was 20th in the league in more-less real despite an average of 14.2 points. They were not completely absent from the first match, but they were more frequent from the second. Lowry's aggression was not necessarily the main reason why the Raptors equalized the series – Leonard asserted his dominance over the Magic realm, the team's defense was incredible – but that's not all. is important as they try to embark on a long playoff series. If they go anywhere, they can not let Lowry guess. They need him to be himself.

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