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TORONTO, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) - Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry scored a franchise-best 40 points in Monday evening's 112-105 home victory against Minnesota Timberwolves to continue his impressive NBA preseason.
The All-Star guard's 40 points surpasses the previous franchise preseason record of 38 points scored by Vince Carter.
Lowry had an efficient night, shooting 13-for-18 at the field, including six three-pointers and a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line in 28 minutes of action in the first three quarters.
"He's hot as a firecracker. I wanted to save some of those (for the regular season)," said Raptors head coach Dwane Casey following the victory.
In three preseason games so far, Lowry leads the league in scoring with 30.3 points per game while shooting the ball at 68% from the field, 65% from three-point and 92% from the free throw line.
After struggling in the second half of last season that ended in a first-round sweep by Washington Wizards, Lowry was poised to redeem himself.
He dropped significant weight in the offseason and looked noticeably thinner at the start of training camp.
"I felt pretty comfortable every game," said Lowry after the game on his performance in the preseason so far. "For me it's about maintaining. Start off well and finish strong."
Lowry and Raptors have three more preseason games remaining before their regular season begins on Oct. 28 against Pacers.
