The Raptors are in serious trouble after losing Game 2 of their first-round series against the Cavaliers on Monday. Because not only have they lost the first two games of the series, but they also appear to be on the verge of losing two starters.
Center Jakob Poeltl was benched in the first half of Game 2 and All-Star Brandon Ingram might as well have been.
In need of a major bounce-back in Game 2 after a disappointing 17-point effort in the first game of the series, Ingram scored just seven points on 3-of-15 shooting on Monday. He had a team-high five turnovers and had more turnovers than points until he hit a three-pointer to cut the deficit to nine with what was basically garbage time remaining.
After averaging 21.5 points a game in the regular season, Ingram scored just 24 through the first two games of the series. On Monday night, he was sixth on the team in scoring behind Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Collin Murray-Boyles, Ja'Kobe Walter and Sandro Mamukelashvili.
With Ingram earning his second All-Star selection this season, he looked like a good investment as Toronto entered the playoffs for the first time in four years. The Raptors had given him a three-year, $120 million contract extension after trading for him ahead of the 2025 trade deadline ... and now that doesn't sound quite so good with the team down 0-2.
He's the team's second-highest paid player at just over $38 million this season. He has another $40 million due next season, followed by a player option worth just under $42 million in 2027-28. That's a lot of money for seven points in a playoff game, but it's not far from what he did in his last postseason appearance with the Pelicans, when he averaged 14.3 points on 34.5% shooting in a series where his team was swept by the Thunder.
Of course, Ingram did average 27 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists while shooting 40% from three in a six-game series against the Suns in his first postseason appearance. That's the player the Raptors traded for. Now, he's 28-years old and should be in his prime, but he basically disappeared in a winnable postseason game.
RJ Barrett on what he would tell Brandon Ingram after a rough performance like tonight:
— Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) April 21, 2026
“He could score the basketball with some of the best of them. Night like tonight, he didn’t make his shots, but I think we did a better job of getting him a little more open.”
“He got some… https://t.co/UQE4AK8dXK pic.twitter.com/0nE26oS2XQ
The good news is that Ingram's teammates aren't concerned. Or if they are, they aren't letting on. After the game, Barrett said they'd go back to the drawing board and that Ingram's shots would start to fall. Barnes, meanwhile, said the team trusts and believes in Ingram, calling him their "go-to guy" after he missed six straight shots before finally knocking down that three.
“They’re just trying to deny and crowd him, to be honest," said Barnes. "We’re not really worried about it. We know he’s going to get back out there and help us.”
Ingram will need to hear that and respond if the Raptors expect to get back in this series. They now have two days off before Game 3 to figure that out. If they don't, their season could be over by Sunday afternoon.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as The Raptors Are Done If Brandon Ingram Doesn’t Show Up In Game 3.
