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TORONTO, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry scored 16 of his game-high 33 points in the fourth quarter of the team's 101-93 victory over the Utah Jazz in Thursday evening's NBA action.
After coming off a season-worst 28-point defeat against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday where he scored a season-low 6 points, Lowry contributed in a big way against Utah with six rebounds, five assists, and three steals in 41 minutes of action, also a game-high.
Toronto head coach Dwane Casey was impressed with Lowry's resiliency during the game and made the decision to play him for the entire fourth quarter.
"If it's a loose ball down there, he's like a little pit bull," Casey said to reporters following the win. "That's why he's who he is, he's been that way since high school and it's not going to change. He took over the game down the stretch."
With 7:26 remaining in the game, the Raptors trailed 83-75 and had yet to take the lead for the entire game. Lowry and his teammates ended the game on a 26-10 run to complete the comeback.
"Yes, I do," Casey responded when asked whether he had confidence in Lowry making clutch plays following the win. "My money would be on him if I was a betting man and I don't gamble but if I did, I would bet on him."
In the final frame, Lowry was 5-for-6 from the field including a perfect 2-for-2 from beyond the three point line. He is currently ranked third in the league with 8.1 fourth-quarter points. Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook and Boston's Isaiah Thomas lead the category with per game averages of 9.9 points and 9.3 points, respectively.
Contributing alongside Lowry were teammates DeMar DeRozan, who had the second-most points in the game with 23 and grabbed eight rebounds. Center Jonas Valanciunas chipped in with 18 points and 13 rebounds for his team-leading 13th double-double of the season.
With the win, Toronto improves to 24-11 on the season and sit comfortably in the second place in the Eastern Conference behind first-placed Cleveland.
