Ingram trusts his teammates going into the postseason.
The Toronto Raptors took care of business Thursday night, beating the Miami Heat 128-114 at Scotiabank Arena to complete a four-game season series sweep and move into fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
Brandon Ingram led the way with a season-high 38 points on 13-for-23 shooting, but it was his postgame comments about rookie teammate Collin Murray-Boyles that caught just as much attention.
When asked whether the 20-year-old forward would thrive in a playoff setting, Ingram did not hesitate.
"Yeah, probably. He would probably because they won't call fouls on him," Ingram said. "He's pretty strong, he'll be able to offensive rebound, drive to the basket, finish strong... I think it's a perfect setting for him to grow and for him to see what it's like."
Murray-Boyles Keeps Proving Himself
That confidence is backed up by what Murray-Boyles has done all season and especially over the past few weeks.
The ninth overall pick out of South Carolina has averaged 14.7 points and 6.5 rebounds over his last six games while shooting well over 50 percent from the field, and Thursday was no different.
He finished with 17 points on a perfect 7-for-7 shooting night along with 8 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block.
He played more minutes than starting center Jakob Poeltl and ended up as the team's third-leading scorer behind Ingram and RJ Barrett.
What stands out about Murray-Boyles is how much he does without needing the ball in his hands.
He crashes the offensive glass, finishes through contact around the rim, and switches across multiple positions on defense without missing a beat.
For a rookie on a team fighting for playoff positioning, that type of impact goes a long way, and Ingram knows it.
Where Toronto Stands
The win pushed the Raptors to 45-35 on the season and vaulted them past the Atlanta Hawks into fifth in the East, which is huge because finishing in the top six means avoiding the play-in tournament entirely.
Toronto has two games left, including a tough trip to Madison Square Garden to face the New York Knicks on Friday and a home finale against Brooklyn on Sunday.
The Heat, meanwhile, dropped to 41-39 and are now locked into the play-in for the fourth straight season after losing 10 of their last 13 games.
Bam Adebayo had 24 points and 11 rebounds in the loss, but it was not nearly enough to keep up with Toronto's balanced attack.
Thursday's result was the final nail in any hopes Miami had of climbing out of the play-in picture.
For the Raptors, getting back to the postseason for the first time since 2022 feels closer than ever, and Murray-Boyles is a big reason why.
He has played through a thumb injury over the past month and has not slowed down one bit.
If the playoffs bring even more physical basketball, Ingram thinks the rookie is more than ready for it.