VANCOUVER - Kyle Lowry showed what a summer of slimming down can do.
The point guard, who turned heads when he showed up at training camp significantly leaner than when he left last season, scored 26 points to lift the Raptors 93-73 over the Los Angeles Clippers in Toronto's pre-season opener on Sunday.
Lowry thoroughly dominated in his 21 minutes, slashing through defenders with ease and moving with a fluidity acquired over a summer of healthy eating and gruelling workouts.
The all-star guard, whose play deteriorated over the second half of last season, shot 7-for-10 from the field, and 11-for-12 from the free throw line.
Jonas Valanciunas, who's fresh off a strong EuroBasket performance that saw Lithuania win silver and earn an Olympic berth, grabbed 12 rebounds to go with 10 points. Luis Scola scored 13 points, and DeMar DeRozan finished with 11.
Off-season acquisitions DeMarre Carroll, Bismack Biyombo, Scola, and Canadian Cory Joseph all had solid debuts.
