Raptors' Lowry aided by late voting surge for 2nd straight year
Don't call it a comeback. He's been here for years - well, last year, at least.
For the second consecutive season, Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry used a late voting push from hoops-mad Canadians to overtake a rival Eastern Conference guard for the final starting spot in the All-Star game.
Related: Eastern Conference All-Star starters announced
After overcoming a 100,000-vote deficit to surpass Dwyane Wade during the final round of balloting last year, Lowry overcame a 30,000-vote deficit to knock Kyrie Irving out of the running this time around.
Thank you fans!! Two years in a row , I never could of imagined this in my wildest dreams!!! I love y'all!!
#north
— Kyle Lowry (@Klow7) January 22, 2016
"It is an honour to be voted as a starter for the All-Star Game, especially for one in my home arena," Lowry said of the Feb. 14 game in a team statement.
"I am thankful to all the great Raptors fans across Canada and throughout the NBA," added Lowry, who saw high-profile Canadians like Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and hip hop superstar Drake go to bat for him.
Lowry, who arguably should be a three-time All-Star by now rather than a two-timer, is averaging 20.9 points, 6.5 assists, five rebounds, and 2.3 steals for the 27-15 Raptors, who sit in second place in the Eastern Conference. He also ranks in the top seven in both ESPN's real plus-minus metric and Basketball Reference's win shares, while Irving has suited up for only 14 games following June knee surgery.