Raptors by the numbers: Injury explains Kyle Lowry's recent shooting woes

Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and the rising Oklahoma City Thunder became a sudden afterthought when All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry walked into the locker after the Raptors' 119-100 loss to OKC on Monday night with a large bandage wrapped around his right elbow.

Following a third consecutive subpar shooting performance, Lowry revealed he had just had his elbow drained and has been dealing with some inflammation for the last few days. Lowry's elbow troubles date back to mid-January, from the game in London against the Orlando Magic, but he had been able to play through it, at a high level no less, for the better part of two months.

It was in another game against Orlando on Mar. 20 that he reaggravated the injury. Lowry sat out the next game, a loss to Boston, but returned to the lineup for the next three games and the results haven't been pretty. It's an incredibly small sample size, yes, but needless to say the Raptors won't be coming away with many wins if Lowry continues to shoot the ball so poorly.

At least an ailing elbow is a reasonable explanation for Lowry's shooting struggles. However, Lowry doesn't think rest will help get him back on track, which helps explain why he's averaged 35 minutes per game over the last three games.

Toronto's next six opponents are playoff teams, including potential first round opponents Charlotte and Indiana. Lowry has made it clear he wants to keep playing, and he hopes getting his elbow drained is the only aid he needs.

What the Raptors need is a healthy Lowry, who ranks third in total minutes played this season behind Houston's James Harden and Milwaukee's Khris Middleton, in just under three weeks time when the playoffs begin. He's been banged up in each of the Raptors' last two postseason runs and if Toronto is going to progress to the second round, that can't be the case again.

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Israel Fehr is a writer for Yahoo Canada Sports. Email him at israelfehr@yahoo.ca or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr