Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry attends a media availability session in Toronto on Thursday. Lowry knows he and DeMar DeRozan will be the focal points on offence when the Raptors take on the Washington Wizards in the opening round.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Kyle Lowry stood eavesdropping in the doorway, a hood pulled over his head and a smirk washing over his lips.
He peeked into the room as his backcourt teammate and close friend DeMar DeRozan stood at the podium addressing reporters giddy with NBA playoff fever. DeRozan glanced casually in his point guard's direction, and the two Toronto Raptors conversed without words. The looks they shared likely conveyed something such as, "These people think they know us," or "Enough questions already, let's just play."
That Lowry smirk, though, seemed to curl up as his friend was asked about their potential together. Each has had stellar moments this season, but rarely at the same time. If the two stars of Toronto's backcourt could both reach their peak performance in the playoffs, what heights could the Raptors reach?
"We can get done whatever we want to get done, honestly," DeRozan said, leaving the podium as he ushered in his friend, shoving him like a boy would his brother. "And with that, I bring in Kyle Lowry."
The point guard began the season like gangbusters, off to career highs in points (19.8), rebounds (4.9), assists (7.5) and steals (1.62) through 42 games, and earning a spot on the Eastern Conference all-star team. He did so while compensating for DeRozan's 21-game absence brought on by a groin injury.
Yet when DeRozan returned, and began to hit his stride, Lowry's game dropped off dramatically, and then he injured his back and was sidelined. That's when DeRozan found his new gear – career-bests in March and April, including his finest-yet 42-point, 11-rebound night in a recent victory over the Houston Rockets.
Efficient, sharpshooting performances by both in their season-finale win over the Charlotte Hornets suggested that just maybe, DeRozan and Lowry are finally about to put it together at the same time, as the No. 4-seeded Raptors open the playoffs against the No. 5 Washington Wizards on Saturday.
"I think we can go as far as playing until June," Lowry said to the same question. "We've just got to go out there and concentrate and think about the things we're going to do and lock in. I think we can do a lot of good things."
The Raptors aren't considered the plucky newcomers in this year's playoffs, though, as they were last year. An exciting run that ended in a first-round Game 7 one-point loss to the Brooklyn Nets was devastating, but forgivable. More is demanded this time, even as DeRozan and Lowry face an equally lauded Washington backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal.
"For me, if those two can reach that level where they're playing together and playing the way we know they can play, I'm absolutely confident," Raptors president and general manager Masai Ujiri said. "They're both fearless, they can both score. I think they can make an impact on the defensive side of the ball. I think DeMar is figuring that out even more than he has before. Kyle is so fierce. This is a good stage. This is a good time to see this happen and we can't wait until Saturday."
The 25-year-old DeRozan now has seven playoff games under his belt, while 29-year-old Lowry has 20. The point guard's shot was finally falling in a 26-point performance in the regular-season finale, and he watched his buddy easily post 16 points while, as Lowry lightheartedly observed, "he wasn't even trying."
"We know everything is going to go through us and we're going to put the focal point in every single game, every single minute of play is going to go through us," Lowry said. "We put the pressure on ourselves. We've got great teammates, they're going to do their job, but at the end of the day, things are going to go through me and DeMar, through our leadership."
Rachel Brady