Kyle Lowry has had his season end at the hands of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers the last two seasons.
The Cavs have his Toronto Raptors on the ropes once again in the playoffs down 3-0 in their best of seven semi-finals series - and even though it may seem like all is lost Lowry's fighting spirit isn't broken just yet.
When asked after the game what was going through his mind when James hit the game-winning basket, the four-time all-star wanting to believe there was still time left.
"I thought there was still some time on the clock left," Lowry said at the post-game press conference. "I didn't want it to be real.
"I mean honestly, I wanted to have a chance to at least get a heave in and try to make it."
It's Lowry's never say die attitude that led the team's dramatic 17-point comeback in the fourth quarter of Saturday's 105-103 loss in Game 3. 15 of his team-high 27 points came in the final period. He looked like every bit the leader his team needed in trying times. But just when Raptors' fans thought LeBron couldn't do any more damage to their team in the playoffs, the King served them another crushing blow.
Despite being down 3-0, with a focused James in his path, a Cavs team seemingly peaking at the right time and a Raptors team falling apart at the worst possible time - Lowry remains as stubborn as ever - unwilling to accept defeat.
"Fight, that's what it feels like - fight," Lowry said of his mentality heading in Game 4.
"Rumble, rumble young man rumble. That's what we're going to do."
If Lowry and the Raptors have been doing the rope-a-dope for the past nine playoff games, now would be the time to strike back.
One thing is for certain though, James and the Cavaliers aren't going to beat a Lowry-led team on points, they'll have to knock them out.
