Brandon Ingram and the Toronto Raptors fell 125-120 to the Cleveland Cavaliers Wednesday night in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at Rocket Arena. The two-time All-Star supplied just one point, two assists, and one rebound in 11 minutes after reaggravating a heel injury he had been dealing with for weeks prior.
With starting point guard Immanuel Quickley already out for the series with a hamstring injury, the Raptors need all the help they can get from an already lackluster offense. Losing their leading scorer for the regular season proved to be detrimental in an all-important Game 5, as shown by just 17 total fourth-quarter points.
Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) | © David Dermer-Imagn ImagesHead coach Darko Rajakovic discussed the injury postgame with the media, as well as the plan for the former Duke Blue Devil moving forward.
“Brandon, as you guys know, he’s been dealing with his heel,” said Rajakovic. “He reaggravated his heel on one play. We tried to retape him at halftime, he tried to activate it to see if he can be ready for second half, and he was not able to come and play second half. So, tomorrow we’ll know more when we do more evaluation.”
His presence is felt by everyone watching, but even more so by his opposition. Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson spoke earlier in the series about how important it was for the team to limit his touches and make every shot he takes a difficult one. Ingram has been given immense respect by a plethora of former players, current players, and head coaches around the NBA.
The most recent example comes from Cavaliers starting center Jarrett Allen, who highlighted how detrimental it is to the Raptors to not have him on the floor.
“Other guys have a higher usage,” said Allen. “He’s an important part to the team. He does a lot on the offensive and defensive end. It’s tough to see him go down for them, but they have to find a way, whether it’s RJ Barrett or Scottie Barnes handling the ball more, they just have to figure that out.”
Allen is spot on with the needs for the Raptors moving forward. Barnes is already being asked to do everything possible on the floor, but with him dealing with a quad injury he suffered in the second quarter, other players will need to hold their own on both ends. Barrett has done everything Toronto could possibly ask of him in this series, averaging 24.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game on 53.5% shooting and 46.2% from three (via StatMuse).
Other players who have played a significant role in the Raptors’ success thus far are the young guys, Collin Murray-Boyles, Ja’Kobe Walter, and Jamal Shead. Defensively, they have all been extremely active on-ball and in the passing lanes, averaging a combined 4.4 steals per game. The second-year guards also contributed 10 three-pointers in Game 5 alone on 41.7% shooting.
Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead (23) | © David Richard-Imagn ImagesIt’s undetermined what the severity of both the two-time All-Stars’ injuries is, but whether they play or not, the rest of the Raptors’ core will need to play their best basketball to avoid elimination in Game 6. The Cavaliers’ potential closeout game comes on Friday at 7:30 PM EST at Scotiabank Arena.