The Toronto Raptors have won four games in a row and will aim to keep their momentum going against the 76ers Wednesday evening in Philadelphia.
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After starting the season 1-4, it’s been a remarkably different story for the Raptors over the past two and a half weeks. Now 9-5, Toronto has won eight of their past nine and sits third in the Eastern Conference, well on their way to bouncing back from a pair of difficult seasons that saw them go a combined 55-109.
They got a scare from the lowly Charlotte Hornets Monday night but sealed a tight win with a pair of stellar defensive plays, blocking two separate game-tying attempts from the Hornets in the dying seconds.
One big reason for the Raps’ turnaround has been the arrival of a Brandon Ingram. Toronto acquired the 10-year veteran in a deal with the New Orleans Pelicans in February but an ankle injury prevented him from making his debut until this season.
He’s been solid for Toronto so far, averaging a team-high 20.9 points on 48.6 per cent shooting. Ingram made the key play to put the Raptors ahead against the Hornets in the final minute, drawing a double-team and dishing to a cutting RJ Barrett for an easy lay-in. At the other end, Ingram swatted away what would have been a game-tying dunk to keep the Raps ahead with 7.5 seconds to go.
He also brought fans at Scotiabank Arena to their feet early in the fourth quarter by throwing down a monster one-handed jam over Ryan Kalkbrenner. Not only did it give the Raptors a bucket in a close game, it showed that Ingram is back to being truly healthy after playing just 14 games last season and 18 the year before.
“It felt good. I haven’t been able to jump that high in a while, being out since December. Just trying to figure out how I could get my legs under me. That definitely was a confidence builder,” Ingram told reporters after the win.
According to TSN’s Josh Lewenberg, Ingram is shooting 52 per cent from mid-range, good for third in the NBA behind Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell and the Lakers’ Luka Doncic. And while he’s only shooting 28 per cent from beyond the arc, the Raptors have shot the three-ball better as a team with him on the court (38 per cent) than with him off it (35 per cent).
Ingram also leads the team in minutes. The next seven Raptors in minutes played are all shooting career-best field goal percentages.
It’s not just Ingram that’s been solid to start the season. According to NBA statistician Keerthika Uthayakumar, the Raptors are just one of five teams in the league to rank in the top-10 in both offensive rating (eighth) and defensive rating (10th), joining Western Conferences powerhouses Oklahoma City, Denver, San Antonio and Houston.
As for Wednesday’s matchup, rookie Collin Murray-Boyles is questionable with right knee soreness, while Ochai Agbaji has been upgraded to probable with a back injury. He has not played since Nov. 8.
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse – a familiar name to Raptors fans – told reporters Tuesday that star forwards Joel Embiid and Paul George each practised and felt good, but it’s likely neither will play Wednesday against Toronto as they manage knee injuries. According to Tuesday’s injury report, George is out and Embiid doubtful. Guard Kelly Oubre Jr. is also out with a knee injury.
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