Eight straight for the boys up north, ladies and gentlemen.
This is the first time we've seen the Toronto Raptors embark on this long of a winning stretch, since back in the 2021-22 campaign, when they logged eight in a row from January 29 to February 10 of that year. Of course, at that time, the Raptors were just getting a taste of their soon to be crowned ROTY, Scottie Barnes, and still revelling in a core that featured Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr., and OG Anunoby.
But we are in a new era of Raptors basketball, and as the November 24 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers proved, the "Notorious B.I.3" experience was on full display. While his Raptors tenure to date has been satisfactory already, Brandon Ingram recorded his season-best performance against the Cavs, securing 37 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Ingram was out there purely to hoop, shooting an impressive 30 times, converting 50 percent from the field, and firing the three at a high rate — going 5-for-11 from beyond the arc.
No one on the Cavs' side could quite match the offensive spark that Ingram provided on this night. In fact, Cleveland’s star guard Donovan Mitchell struggled with his efficiency against Toronto, shooting just 6-for-20 from the field, while backcourt mate Lonzo Ball also had shooting woes, finishing 3-for-15 from the field.
The initial fears or criticisms about Brandon Ingram's fit with the Raptors centered around the idea that everyone is tall and versatile, leading to the concern that they might have too many similar players. And while that sentiment holds some truth, especially given similar physical profiles and perhaps even shared weaknesses, absolutely no one else on this team can do what Brandon Ingram does.
Brandon Ingram is unrivaled as a scorer within Raptors' team structure
The way Ingram can annihilate teams from mid-range and get to the rim with finesse is something no one else in Toronto truly matches, even if guys like RJ Barrett (the "Maple Mamba" missing this Cavs affair certainly helped BI take on a more prominent scoring role) and Scottie Barnes can mirror similar offensive nights from time to time. It's one thing to have the ability to unleash a scoring barrage, but it's another to assess each player's offensive skill set. In that context, there's only one Brandon Ingram, and he's certainly proving to be a winning strategy.
This Raptors-high to date is also quite the feat for Ingram, especially considering he had a bit of an injury scare against the Wizards recently, but it's clear there's nothing stopping BI from doing his work, unless, of course, his body really says otherwise. Ingram was asked about this in his post-game media availability on November 24, where he responded:
"I felt good tonight. I just threw myself out there and just was in the flow of the game. You know, I wasn't, I didn't feel myself getting tired. I just kept shooting. I kept doing what the defense was giving me. And I just felt good. I wasn't tired tonight."Brandon Ingram
Ingram has proven to be the guy who leads the team when someone needs to take shots — say, the 'glue' of sorts. However, take these closing statements from him during the post-game scrum to highlight just how much of a cohesive team effort it truly is:
"Everybody's bought in. I think everybody on the team is selfless, and we just want to win and whatever it takes. I think everybody is bought into doing that. Nobody has an ego on the floor, off the floor, and we're able to communicate in real time — and talk about the game. "Brandon Ingram on Raptors' strategy