On a night where Vince Carter became the 22nd youngest player to reach 25,000 career points, it was Kyle Lowry who shone the brightest. His 21 point performance was instrumental in lifting his Raptors to a decisive 124-108 victory over the Atlanta Hawks, the team Vinsanity has chosen to suit up for in the twilight of his career.
Vince Carter, a polarizing figure in Toronto, held a majority of the team records before DeMar DeRozan came around to unseat him as the poster child of the franchise. So it was only fitting that he accomplished his 25,000 career point against the team that gave him his running start in the league. He spoke about the accomplishment after the game.
"I'm very thankful for every team that I’ve played for," Carter said with respect to facing his former team. "... But there’s nothing like your first."
After the game, Carter's teammates rushed him for game-worn souvenirs leaving him with little to remember the moment by, but his own nostalgia. This occurred after the teams reconvened to their respective dressing rooms, but not before received a heartfelt congratulatory hug from every player taking part in the contest, including Kyle Lowry and his bandaged nose.
Lowry who left the game with 4 minutes remaining on the clock only to valiantly return just in time to record his Raptors' record 20-10-15 stat line, was the very first player to pat Carter on the buttocks once he clinched his 25,000th career point. "He (Carter) earned it," Lowry said after the game. "It's awesome to do it against the team he started with."