A day after labouring through Game 5 with a stiff back, Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry is improving slightly, according to head coach Dwane Casey.

"Not much better, but better," Casey said Tuesday regarding the status of Lowry's back as the Raptors prepare for Thursday's Game 6 in Milwaukee. 

The 31-year-old Lowry missed Monday's shootaround with back stiffness, but was able to tough it out by game time in the evening. He scored 16 points, 10 assists and three steals in 36:25 minutes of playing time as Toronto took a 3-2 series lead over the Bucks with a commanding 118-93 victory. The veteran was also a plus-29 in the game, but was forced to lie down when he wasn't playing due to the back issues. 

"I'm all right," Lowry told the Canadian Press after the game. "This is the playoffs. The opportunity to play, enjoy my teammates, and a great game, be out there with my guys. There's nothing like that. I'm going to take the bumps and bruises to be able to go on the floor and be with our guys. Especially with the way Norm played tonight, it made it way more worth it."

Lowry will continue to get treatment with the hope he'll continue to improve over the coming days. 

He put up 22.4 points, 7.0 assists and 4.8 rebounds over 60 games with the Raptors in 2016-17, his fifth season with the team. Lowry missed 21 games this season after suffering a wrist injury around the All-Star break. 

Lowry can opt-out of his contract and become a free-agent at the end of this season.

The Raptors can close out the series and move on to the second-round Thursday night with a win in Milwaukee.