Brandon Ingram has had a terrible series so far for the Toronto Raptors against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Ingram remains confident ahead of Game 3, despite averaging just 12.0 points on 33.3% shooting in the first two games of the series.
Speaking to reporters after Wednesday’s practice, Ingram isn’t shying away from the responsibility of being the Raptors’ primary scorer. He has received backlash for his comments about his touches after Game 1, then following it up with a stinker in Game 2.
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“I’m confident I won’t miss all my shots and find a rhythm,” Ingram said, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. “But I’m also confident in our team. I don’t want to sit here and make this all about (me).”
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The Toronto Raptors are down 0-2 heading into Game 3 at home inside Scotiabank Arena. They need Brandon Ingram to be at his best if they want to make the series against the Cleveland Cavaliers more competitive. Ingram averaged 21.5 points per game in the regular season on 47.7% shooting.
RJ Barrett shares positive words for Brandon Ingram
Despite calling out the coaching staff in public and following it with a bad performance on the court, Brandon Ingram still has support from his teammates. RJ Barrett told Michael Grange of SportsNet how important Ingram is to the Raptors’ success.
“Yeah, I just told him, ‘Stay in it. Stay in it. We need you,'” Barrett said. “He’s got us here, man. Like, the whole season, it’s been amazing for us. He’s been an All-Star, so just told him to stay in it, keep his head in it, that we need him. Because you know when I have my off nights, you know he’s right there to pick me up.”
Even coach Darko Rajakovic offered support to Ingram. He even called out the referees for being unfair to Ingram when he’s attacking the basket and not calling fouls.
Raptors-Cavaliers Game 3
The Toronto Raptors need to win Game 3 against the Cleveland Cavaliers to make it a real series. The playoffs is a different animal, something that the Raptors haven’t experienced since 2022.
It’s going to be a hostile crowd at Scotiabank Arena, but the players will have to do their best to slow down the duo of James Harden and Donovan Mitchell. Game 3 of the series is scheduled for Thursday, with an 8:00 p.m. EST tip-off.
Edited by Juan Paolo David
