The Toronto Raptors won Games 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals with Kawhi Leonard laboring. Now, as this series shifts back to the Milwaukee Bucks' home court for the first of a best-of-three, comes news that the Raptors' second-best player is experiencing major discomfort, too.
On Wednesday, Nick Nurse elaborated on the extent of a thumb injury recently suffered by Kyle Lowry. The good news? Toronto's coach both believes and has evidence to confirm that his star point guard will remain effective despite ongoing pain.
“Kyle’s hand is not great, you know? It’s hurt. And it’s sore. And it causes him a lot of pain,” Nurse said, per James Herbert of CBS Sports. “But he seems to be able to manage it through the game and do what he can do. He’s obviously scoring and playing great, and all the other things he always does.”
Leonard has received much of the attention for the Raptors evening the Eastern Conference Finals at two games apiece, and rightfully so. His 52-minute epic in Game 3, injury and all, is already the stuff of legend, and he's played a huge role in Toronto's defensive improvement by taking on the assignment of being Giannis Antetokounmpo's primary defender.
Still, it would be a mistake to not give Lowry credit for this series' massive shift. He got the Raptors off to fast start in their inital win before being limited by foul trouble, and was arguably their best player on Tuesday, scoring 25 points on 11 shots and doling out six assists.
Lowry, obviously, can play through this injury, but keep it in mind nonetheless. If his level of pain suddenly increases, it could be a swing factor that helps decide who the Golden State Warriors will face in the NBA Finals.
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