Ingram and the Raptors ended the three-year playoff drought this year, and now they look to win their first series since the Bubble in 2020.
The 2026 NBA Play-In Tournament is officially underway, and thanks to a 136-101 win over the Brooklyn Nets in the regular season finale, the Toronto Raptors are already gearing up for the playoffs on Saturday. They previously had a three-year playoff drought and experienced several different stretches throughout this season that made it seem like the drought may continue.
It came all the way down to game No. 82 to decide if Toronto would need the Play-In to compete in the postseason, but it controlled its own destiny by winning three of its last four games to secure the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors’ first-round opponent is the team that acquired the top seed just last season, the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, a shaky start to 2026 led them to trade for 11-time All-Star James Harden, giving them an entirely different makeup with him at the helm next to seven-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell.
Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) | © John E. Sokolowski-Imagn ImagesIn his first season playing with the Raptors, two-time All-Star Brandon Ingram had an incredible impact in helping the franchise return to postseason contention. The former No. 2 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft led the team in scoring with 21.5 points per game to match 5.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists. At the time, it didn’t feel like the Raptors were giving up much to acquire the former Duke Blue Devil in the midseason, but Indiana’s first-round pick in this year’s draft is tied for the best odds at No. 1.
General manager Bobby Webster and the Raptors achieved their goal of winning now, and Ingram commented on how he knew his abilities would help the franchise return to the postseason.
“I saw the team before I integrated into it,” said Ingram. “I saw how hard everyone worked. The care factor from every player, 1 through 15. Even the coaching staff, how they adjust game-to-game. The focus on the defensive end, and letting it transition to the offensive end, and I thought that if I could step into the fold and be effective, that we would be right where we are today.”
His emphasis on defensive intensity is key, as that has been the largest contributor to the Raptors’ success this season. They ranked fifth in the NBA this season in defensive rating, led by two-time All-Star Scottie Barnes, who has a case to be a Defensive Player of the Year finalist.
Game 1 of Toronto’s first playoff series since 2022 is at Rocket Arena in Cleveland on Saturday at 1:00 PM EST. This marks the first time the two teams have faced each other in the postseason since 2018, when the NBA’s All-Time Leading Scorer, LeBron James, led the Cavaliers to three-straight series wins against Toronto. The all-time record between the two teams is 12-2 in favor of Cleveland, with the Raptors losing the last 10 straight games.