Toronto battled fiercely in a thrilling game against Charlotte that came down to the wire, with Immanuel Quickley sealing the win with a clutch three-pointer. As great as it was to see, the game wasn't without its challenges. Of course, with the close score, the Raptors faced another intense battle, but they also dealt with injuries to their two key All-Star hopefuls.
Scottie Barnes experienced a knee issue during the game and sat out for a while as the coaching staff monitored him, though he ultimately finished the game for Toronto. Meanwhile, Brandon Ingram suffered a thumb sprain early on and was limited to just 10:57 of playing time, during which he scored six points, dished out two assists, and recorded three blocks.
Brandon Ingram exits Hornets game with a thumb injury
Head coach Darko Rajakovic provided an update in his post-game presser, stating that Ingram suffered a right thumb sprain, with X-rays coming back negative, and that his availability has been upgraded to day-to-day.
Since joining the Raptors, Brandon Ingram has been a reliable presence, appearing in all 38 games so far, with his only injury scare occurring in November during a blowout against the Wizards, when it looked like he might have tweaked his knee — but it was never revealed to be anything serious. It's been great to see BI healthy and effective every night, especially after all the preseason worries about his ability to stay on the court for extended periods. Going into January without any setbacks is quite the streak for someone whose perception has been considered fragile for a while now.
But at the end of the day, injuries can be just freak moments outside of anyone's control, and that's seemingly what happened for BI. Unfortunately for the Toronto Raptors, this appears to be the first setback that will sideline Ingram. If his injury extends beyond a short period, it would remove their most consistent offensive weapon — something BI certainly doesn't want while pursuing his own well-deserved All-Star campaign.
The silver lining is that the X-rays at least came back negative, and hearing that Ingram is “day-to-day” is always a positive sign. Hopefully, the news about BI doesn't lead to another concerning injury for the Raptors, especially after already dealing with Jakob Poeltl's extended absence. Not to mention, Scottie Barnes is also questionable for Toronto's next contest due to a knee sprain, so they'll need him to get back to full health too.