The Toronto Raptors could be without all-star point guard Kyle Lowry when they play for a franchise-record 10th win in a row.
Lowry didn't practise Wednesday after hurting his left wrist in Toronto's 106-89 win over the Washington Wizards the previous night, and is questionable for Thursday's game against the visiting New York Knicks.
"He's a little sore, but we'll see where he is (Thursday). There's no breaks, nothing significant," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said.
Lowry was injured after getting tangled up with Wizards centre Marcin Gortat late in the fourth quarter and made a beeline to the locker-room. X-rays on his non-shooting hand were negative and Lowry, who broke the same wrist in his rookie season with Memphis, said he originally feared the injury was worse than it was.
Lowry is averaging 20.9 points, 6.4 assists, five rebounds and 2.2 steals per game this season and was voted to the all-star team for the second year in a row.
Toronto relies heavily on its stellar backcourt of Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. They have led the Raptors to a 30-15 record and helped the team tie a franchise record with its current nine-game winning streak.
As insurance, the Raptors called up Delon Wright from their new D-League affiliate Raptors 905. The 23-year-old point guard left the Mississauga Hershey Centre moments before the team tipped off against the Erie BayHawks on Wednesday morning, to get to the Air Canada Centre for practice.
Casey noted it's another example of the benefits of having their D-League team close by.
"it's great, it's perfect for us, the fact that he can get down there and get back, get practice in, go through a practice and be ready, I think is huge," Casey said. "That's something that we had in mind when the team was put there, the guys can get there and get back, it's just a matter of paperwork of letting the league know, in and out. It's a great situation for us to have our D-League team there."
Cory Joseph would start in Lowry's absence. Toronto's bench has been terrific in recent weeks, and Joseph is a big reason why. The backup point guard is averaging 8.4 points and 3.0 assists a night.
Wright has averaged 18 points, 6.8 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game in the D-League, and made brief appearances in 11 Raptors games, averaging 2.8 minutes.