The Toronto Raptors are staring down the barrel of a playoff sweep, and the pressure has landed squarely on the shoulders of Brandon Ingram. Following a disastrous two-game stint in Cleveland where the Raptors fell into an 0-2 hole, the focus shifted to Toronto’s practice facility on Wednesday. The atmosphere was thick with urgency as the team prepared for a must-win Game 3 at Scotiabank Arena.
Ingram, acquired before the 2025 trade deadline to be the closer this franchise desperately needed, has struggled to find his footing in the postseason. After a lackluster Game 1 and a total offensive vanishing act in Game 2, fans and analysts have been loud. Ingram didn’t just miss shots; he seemed out of sync with a Raptors offense already missing the spark of Immanuel Quickley.
Despite the noise, Ingram remains the coolest person in the room. Speaking to reporters after a high-intensity Wednesday practice, he refused to let the slump define his mindset for the home opener.
“I’m confident I won’t miss all my shots and find a rhythm. But I’m also confident in our team. I don’t want to sit here and make this all about (me).”
— Brandon Ingram via Josh Lewenberg, TSN Sports
By the Numbers: The Ingram Slump
The drop-off from Ingram’s regular-season efficiency to his playoff production has been staggering. While he averaged over 21 points per game in the 2025-26 regular season, the Cavaliers’ length and aggressive double-teams have turned him into a volume shooter with low returns.
| Matchup | Points | Field Goals | FG % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 vs. CLE | 17 | 5-9 | 55.6% |
| Game 2 vs. CLE | 7 | 3-15 | 20.0% |
| Series Average | 12.0 | 8-24 | 33.3% |
Leadership in the Absence of Immanuel Quickley
The Raptors’ struggles aren’t entirely on Ingram. The loss of Immanuel Quickley to a hamstring injury has crippled the team’s spacing. Without Quickley’s gravity at the point, the Cavaliers have been able to “box-and-one” Ingram, forcing him into difficult mid-range contested jumpers. You could see the frustration on head coach Darko Rajaković’s face as he walked the sidelines on Wednesday; the playbook looks thin without a healthy backcourt.
However, playoff legends are made in these moments. The Scotiabank Arena crowd is famously unforgiving to visiting teams but equally demanding of their stars. Ingram mentioned the energy of the “Jurassic Park” faithful, noting that returning home provides a psychological reset. The Raptors don’t need Ingram to be perfect; they just need him to be the 28-year-old All-Star who carried them through March.
If Ingram finds his rhythm on Thursday night, the Raptors have a path back into this series. If the shooting woes continue, Toronto might be looking at a very long, very quiet offseason.
The ball is in his court. Let’s see if he can finally knock it down.
