Lowry soaks in potential Toronto farewell: One of greatest moments of my career

Kyle Lowry has won an NBA title with the Toronto Raptors, earned six All-Star nods, and had his number retired by his hometown Villanova Wildcats.

But the standing ovation he received Monday at Scotiabank Arena upon checking in with 1:57 left in the Philadelphia 76ers' 115-102 victory over the Raptors ranks right up there.

"I've got some great teammates and a great coach who understands the moment, who I have a championship with, but it was a good team win for us," Lowry told reporters after his potential final game in Toronto. "I got an opportunity to experience probably one of the greatest basketball moments of my personal career."

The 76ers were in control for most of the night, leading by as many as 33 points in the third quarter. With the game out of reach, the Raptors faithful began chanting "We want Lowry!" during the final frame.

Philadelphia head coach Nick Nurse, who was at the helm for Toronto's 2019 title, sensed the moment and substituted Tyrese Maxey for Lowry to the delight of the home crowd.

Lowry missed all three shot attempts during his brief cameo. The ex-Raptors guard was embraced by his teammates after the final buzzer, and fans applauded him again as the game ended.

"There are the greatest fans in the world to me," Lowry said. "They've been supportive of me and my career. A lot of the things that I've accomplished in my career was in front of these fans. That's why this place is so special to me."

The 76ers re-signed Lowry to a one-year deal last offseason. The 39-year-old has made just six appearances for a total of 45 minutes.

Lowry's one of 12 players in NBA history to play at least 20 seasons. He's the Raptors' all-time leader in 3-point field goals (1,518), assists (4,277), steals (873), and triple-doubles (16).

Lowry hasn't confirmed that he'll be retiring at season's end, but he reiterated his desire to sign a one-day contract with Toronto when that time comes.