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TSN Raptors Reporter

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SAN ANTONIO - With just over three minutes to go in the first half, Toronto stuck in another big hole trailing the Spurs by 20, Dwane Casey called a 20-second timeout but it was Kyle Lowry that did most of the talking.

Talking, in this case, means yelling.

"It's not TV-friendly so I'm not going to repeat it," the fired-up point guard told reporters when asked about the content of his speech after Tuesday's game. "We've got to play harder, it's as simple as that."

The Raptors were at the tail end of one of their worst first-half efforts of the campaign and, as you might imagine, their body language reflected it.

San Antonio, a team that generally deemphasizes crashing their own boards, had grabbed nine offensive rebounds in the opening quarter. By the time the first half proceedings came to a merciful end, Toronto had recorded more turnovers (six) than assists (five).

They would go on to rally in the second half, at one point cutting the deficit to six before running out of gas, but now's not the time for moral victories. That ship sailed away with the Raptors historic start to the season, which now seems like a lifetime ago.

Was that first-half beating, complete with Lowry's emotional tirade, the kick in the ass they needed?

"It's nine [losses] out of 10 [games]," Toronto's all-star responded, irritated at the implication they might require added motivation following this latest loss, 117-107 to the defending champs. "[Expletive]. We need to play. We don't need no kick in the ass. We've literally been getting our ass kicked. So we shouldn't need that type of first half. We should be able to go out and do it."

Lowry's post-game F-bomb was a rarity for him and to his credit he caught it immediately and apologized to the cameras and recorders that captured it. But that brand of unbridled passion, similar to what he unleashed on his teammates during that earlier timeout, needs no apology. They could use more of it.

"I was glad to see somebody had a give-a-crap level," Casey said of Lowry, who finished with a hollow 32 points, nine of them coming in the game's final 20 seconds. "That’s what it has to be about and it shouldn’t be just one guy. I should have two, three, or four guys upset and teed off that we are playing that way." 

"I shouldn’t be the only one jumping up and down and going crazy and cursing guys out or getting on guys," the Raptors' coach continued. "It should be all the guys caring. It’s like I told them a few minutes ago, we put a lot of sweat equity into this and let’s not let it go down the drain right now. We have worked too hard to let it go."

Generally, Lowry is one of the more vocal players on a team that is comprised of quiet leaders. The nine-year vet said he hasn't had to take over the huddle like he did on Tuesday many times this season, but felt like it was needed on this occasion.

"Honestly, tonight was one of the nights where we're playing against the champs and we should have been excited to play against the champs," he said. "And I feel like we just let it drag along."

Down 26, their largest deficit of the night, the Raptors called another timeout midway through the third quarter before finally showing some life. They would finish the frame on a 24-12 run, led by Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, who scored 13 of his 21 points in the period.

Enjoying his best game in weeks, Amir Johnson - 16 points and 14 rebounds - helped fuelled the fourth-quarter comeback that ultimately fell short.