Brandon Ingram addressed the Toronto Raptors’ 93-89 Game 4 win with a clear message about process, pointing to missed opportunities and defensive consistency as the deciding factors.
“Not only threes, we missed some layups,” Ingram said. “We miss a lot of open looks, but we just told each other to keep shooting.”
Toronto shot just 32% from the field and 4-for-30 from beyond the arc, yet closed the game on a 10-2 run to even the series at 2-2 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“It’s only going to happen on the defensive end,” Ingram said. “So, you got to play defense and come back down on the other end and still have confidence.”
The forward finished with 23 points, matching Scottie Barnes for the game high, despite a slow start that saw him miss nine of his first 10 shots.
“I thought I got some good looks,” Ingram said. “No matter what if the ball was falling or not, I was going to continue to be aggressive.”
His approach reflected a broader team mindset, especially after Toronto fell behind 0-2 in the series.
“We’ve seen consistency,” Ingram said of Barnes. “He’s been the same person from game one. Even in losses, he’s the same person.”
Barnes added nine rebounds and six assists, including the go-ahead free throws in the final minute, reinforcing his leadership role.
“He brings the energy,” Ingram said. “On the defensive side, he’s been who he’s been all year, and we need every bit of it.”
Ingram credited his teammates for maintaining trust throughout the game despite poor shooting.
“All my teammates have been there through ups and downs telling me to keep shooting,” he said. “All the information they give me is good information and it propels me for the game.”
That trust translated into late-game execution, even as both teams struggled offensively throughout.
“It felt good to be effective in this win,” Ingram said. “But all I care about and all we care about is winning the game.”
Beyond scoring, Ingram highlighted his role in rebounding and defense, particularly with smaller lineups on the floor.
“I’ve been off ball most of the time, so just trying to dig out rebounds,” he said. “Trying to make some defensive plays and, when the attention is on me, just trying to make the right passes.”
Toronto outrebounded Cleveland 59-56, with Collin Murray-Boyles adding 10 boards and contributing to second-chance opportunities.
Ingram also pointed to the team’s depth and collective effort as a defining playoff trait.
“What I’ve noticed the most in these playoffs is we need everybody,” he said. “Everybody has stepped up from the bench to the starters to coaches.”
As the series shifts to Cleveland for Game 5, the emphasis remains unchanged.
“We got to expect a fight, back in their territory,” Ingram said. “All their guys going to be ready, so we just got to be ready, too.”
