Kyle Lowry thanks Toronto fans for voting him NBA All-Star starter

Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry paid tribute to the fans Friday for a late voting surge that earned him a second straight start in the NBA all-star game.

The 29-year-old said it was awesome that the fans had come together to push him over the edge, allowing him to be an all-star on his home court.

The 65th NBA all-star game, the first to be held outside of the U.S., goes Feb. 14 at the Air Canada Centre.

The late crop of votes elevated Lowry into the starting lineup with 646,441 votes. Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving, whose season has been disrupted by injury had 580,651.

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Dwyane Wade, named an all-star for the 12th time in 13 seasons, was the top Eastern vote-getter among guards with 941,466.

Lowry and Wade will be joined in the Eastern starting lineup by Cleveland’s LeBron James, Indiana’s Paul George and New York’s Carmelo Anthony.