Lowry sparks Raptors past Clippers
Guard in top shape, scores 26 for Toronto
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Kyle Lowry scored 26 points in 21 minutes, leading the Toronto Raptors to a 93-73 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night in a preseason game.
The All-Star point guard, who arrived at Toronto’s training camp noticeably slimmer after a summer of healthy eating and grueling workouts, shot 7 for 10 from the field and 11 for 12 from the freethrow line.
J.J. Redick led the Clippers with 15 points, and Blake Griffin added 14.
Paul Pierce made his only shot and scored two points in nine minutes off the bench for the Clippers.
Clippers swingman Lance Stephenson’s early struggles continued as he went scoreless, missing all four shots. He has made two of 14 shots in two exhibition games.
For Toronto, Jonas Valanciunas, fresh off a strong EuroBasket performance in helping Lithuania earn an Olympic berth, had 10 points and 12 rebounds. Luis Scola scored 13 points and DeMar DeRozan finished with 11.
The game drew a capacity crowd of 19,000 that included former Vancouver Grizzlies guard Mike Bibby. The Grizzlies played in Vancouver for six seasons before moving to Memphis.
“It’s an amazing city,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. “Without saying too much, I miss Vancouver. It’s just a great city, it really is. It’s vibrant, it’s just nice. Deserves a team, along with Seattle.”
OTHER GAMES
Hornets 90, Heat 77 at Miami: Chris Bosh returned to the Miami lineup and scored 14 points.
Bosh, who missed Miami’s final 30 games last season because of blood clots in one of his lungs, played 23 minutes and grabbed seven rebounds.
Brian Roberts led the Hornets with 22 points.
Gerald Green and Amare Stoudemire each scored 12 points in their Miami debuts. Stoudemire also had six rebounds.
DEVELOPMENTS
Hornets lose forward: Charlotte Hornets small forward Michael KiddGilchrist has a dislocated right shoulder, which could cost him several weeks and the start of the regular season.
The injury occurred with 46 seconds remaining in the second quarter in Saturday’s preseason game at Orlando when he hit the floor hard.
The 6-foot-7 KiddGilchrist will be further evaluated by Hornets team physicians in Charlotte today.
The Hornets didn’t estimate how long KiddGilchrist might be out, but typically a dislocation takes three to 12 weeks of recovery time.
LeBron wants Thompson back: Cleveland star LeBron James called Tristan Thompson’s stalemate with the Cavaliers “a distraction” on Sunday and urged both sides to get a deal done.
“The last thing you need is a distraction when you try to make a championship run. And we have that right now,” James said after practice. “It’s unfortunate for both sides that we’re going through it right now as a team.”
Thompson has not reported to camp as he remains in a holdout for a long-term deal. He is a restricted free agent and can consider offers from other teams.