Kyle Lowry Returns from Wrist Injury for Raptors vs. Pistons

Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry will return to the floor Wednesday night against the Detroit Pistons following a 21-game absence due to wrist surgery. 

According to Sportsnet's Michael Grange, Lowry has been cleared to play without a minutes limit. 

Wednesday will mark Lowry's first action since the All-Star break, when he was required to undergo a procedure to remove loose bodies from his right (shooting) wrist. 

The Raptors, though, stood tall and sustained their winning ways even with Lowry on the shelf. 

Dating back to Feb. 24, the Raptors rank second among all Eastern Conference teams with 14 wins. During that stretch, they posted a net rating of plus-4.6 points per 100 possessions, which ranks fifth overall behind only the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat and Portland Trail Blazers. 

However, it's hard to overstate just how important Lowry is to the Raptors' success. 

In 2,111 minutes so far this season, the Raptors have outscored opponents by plus-8.1 points per 100 possessions with Lowry on the floor. When he sat through the first 56 games he played, that mark plummeted to minus-5.3.

Now back in the Raptors' lineup, Lowry will have four regular-season games remaining to find a rhythm and establish some much-needed chemistry with new additions like Serge Ibaka and PJ Tucker. 

All stats courtesy of NBA.com unless otherwise noted.

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