Brandon Ingram Staying Aggressive After 7-Point Outing In Game 2 Loss

Brandon Ingram and the Toronto Raptors face a 0-2 deficit in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals after a 115-105 defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers. While this contest was much closer than the playoff opener, ultimately the Raptors were unable to salvage a pitiful performance in the first quarter, suffering a seven-point deficit and scoring just 19 points. 

After attempting just nine field goals in Game 1, Ingram made it clear to reporters that the Raptors needed him to shoot more if they wanted a chance to win. Well he did just that, attempting the second-most field goals for his team with 15, but made just three of them. He finished with seven points and five turnovers on 23.3% true shooting, the worst in Raptors franchise history by a player with 15 or more field-goal attempts in a postseason game (via Keerthika Uthayakumar). 

Outside of second-year guard Jamal Shead, who had three times fewer attempts than Ingram, the former Duke Blue Devil had the lowest points of any Raptor who played at least 10 minutes. He was the leading scorer for the franchise throughout the regular season, averaging 21.5 points per game, and if he continues to underwhelm from the offensive end, the Raptors very well may not make the trip back to Cleveland for Game 5. 

Reporters asked the former No. 2 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft about his performance and what the contrast was from Game 1 to 2. 

“They stuck to the game plan,” said Ingram. “They tried to be physical, sent different bodies and contested a lot of shots. I thought I had some good looks but shots weren’t falling … I definitely don't have any quit in me, we’ll keep going try to figure it out … Of course it would happen that you asked for more shots and you missed more shots. But I liked the looks that I had. I’ll continue to be aggressive… It’s game to game, you make adjustments. I won’t miss all my shots.”

Ingram got his fair share of criticism from former players and the media after his postgame words about wanting more shots in Game 1. Many thought he shouldn’t have made his feelings about the situation public, especially for the Cavaliers to game-plan against. It seems the criticism was accurate after the defense’s increased attention and pressure on Ingram, forcing him to play right into their hands. 

There are several things that need to change for the Raptors to win Game 3 at home. They have had fairly close battles with the Cavaliers in the first two games in stretches, but ultimately they have to stop turning the ball over and apply more pressure to the superstar backcourt duo of 11-time All-Star James Harden and seven-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell. 22 turnovers in a playoff game is a recipe for disaster, and 112 points and 23 assists from two players in two games is nearly enough to beat the Raptors on their own.