TORONTO – When Brandon Ingram was traded from the Latest Orleans Pelicans to the Raptors last season, he made it clear he desired to stay in Toronto.
But there’s been a selected a part of being a Raptor that he loves.
“I assume Darko coming into the locker room, yelling,” laughed Ingram, referring to go coach Darko Rajakovic’s habit of running into Toronto’s locker room, screaming, to hype up his players. “That’s not only sooner or later, it’s day by day. He brings the energy each day. He’s the leader of our team.
“He makes sure we bring it to practice, to games, to shootarounds. He makes sure now we have it each time we step on the basketball floor.”
Added Ingram: “That, for me, is the most effective part about being here: a coach who’s present each day.”
The low-key Ingram said that despite scoring a season-high 37 points to guide Toronto past the Cleveland Cavaliers 110-99 on Monday. It was his highest points total since he scored 32 for Latest Orleans on Nov. 16, 2024.
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“I felt good tonight. Just threw myself on the market and was within the flow of the sport,” said Ingram, who missed most of last season with a left ankle sprain. “I didn’t feel myself getting drained. I just kept shooting.
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“I kept doing what the defence was giving me. I felt good. I wasn’t drained.”
Cleveland’s defence was particularly generous within the third quarter as Ingram scored 15 points and the Raptors outscored the Cavaliers 31-22.
“When he gets going like that, he’s proven it time and time again, not only this 12 months, but over his whole profession, that when he gets going, give him the ball,” said point guard Jamal Shead. “He’s not going to only shoot it each time, he’ll make the appropriate play.”
Ingram leads the Raptors with a mean of 21.6 points per game. He’s also averaging 5.8 rebounds and three.9 assists up to now this season.
Rajakovic said he appreciates the variety of Ingram’s game, regardless that he had been billed as a shooter when Latest Orleans dealt him to Toronto on Feb. 6 for guard-forward Bruce Brown, centre Kelly Olynyk, a 2026 first-round pick and a 2031 second-round pick.
“Brandon also did a terrific job defensively, as well,” said Rajakovic after Ingram pulled down seven defensive rebounds and had a steal. “I assumed he rebounded the ball well. He was in the appropriate spots, getting deflections.
“He’s doing it each ways on the ground, and he is actually helping us to get wins.”
The victory prolonged the Raptors’ streak to eight consecutive games and so they are 12-1 of their past 13 games. Ingram laughed when he was asked when he was last on a team this hot.
“(Expletive). Highschool?” said Ingram. “I don’t think one person within the locker room has talked in regards to the streak, and I don’t think Darko will let that creep into our locker room.
“We take it by the day. We all know day by day is a possibility to recuperate, and we just worry in regards to the next opponent.”
Toronto (13-5) is first within the Atlantic Division, two games up on the Latest York Knicks. The Raptors are 2 1/2 games back of the first-place Detroit Pistons within the Eastern Conference standings.
They host the Indiana Pacers (2-15) on Wednesday with a solid probability to maintain their streak going.
“We’re turning it around from last 12 months,” said Shead. “We saw the potential last 12 months, and it’s really cool to see it form of sprout.
“I feel everybody’s been tremendous. I feel all, like 13 guys that play, all are available and contribute.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 25, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press