Dave Feschuk: Raptors vs. Cavaliers Game 2: More Brandon Ingram isn't the answer, Toronto heads home down 2-0
CLEVELAND -- If you're going to demand more opportunity, the idea is to seize it when it comes to you. Raptors swingman Brandon Ingram was handed the ball early and often in Monday night's Game 2 of the first-round playoff series with the Cavaliers. And given how Ingram publicly questioned the game plan after he took one second-half shot as the Raptors were blown out of the building in Game 1, it only made sense that the visitors prioritized getting the ball to their top regular-season scorer. The good news Monday was Ingram got a larger portion of shots, as the Raptors prioritized getting him the ball early and often.
The bad news: He missed almost all of them. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW He finished with more turnovers (five) than made field goals (three), scoring a grand toal of seven points on 3-for-15 shooting. On a night when the game was pivotal, Ingram's performance was largely pitiful. "Of course it would happen that you ask for more shots and you miss more shots," Ingram said.
"I liked the looks that I had. I'll continue to be aggressive ... I don't have any quit in me." The Raptors, meanwhile, rallied around Ingram in the game's wake. "We trust him, we believe in him, we know he's our go-to guy," said Raptor Scottie Barnes.
"We know he's going to get back out there and help us." Maybe on another night. But Ingram's struggle was one of a long list of reasons why the Raptors will return to Toronto for Thursday's Game 3 down 2-0 in the best-of-seven series after Monday's 115-105 loss. But make no mistake, it was a big one. In a star-driven league, it's hard to win when your best players get trounced by their best players.
For the second straight game Cleveland's star duo of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden largely ran roughshod over Toronto's one-two punch of Barnes and Ingram. Barnes, to be clear, largely held up his end of the bargain, leading the Raptors with 26 points. And Toronto's RJ Barrett came to play, adding 22 points and nine rebounds. But Mitchell and Harden had 30 and 28 points, respectively, while Cleveland power forward Evan Mobley added 25 points.
The better team won. "To be honest, they're a problem," Barrett said of Mitchell and Harden. "We've got to go look at the film and try and fix that." ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The Raptors were playing without injured starting point guard Immanuel Quickley for the second straight game. Coach Darko Rajakovic said Quickley is "progressing" but seems like no sure thing for Game 3.
But maybe the bigger concern is the state of the highly paid guys who did play. Ingram, in the first season of a three-year contract extension worth $120 million (U.S.) that his agent suggested this summer was well over market value, has so far wilted in the series. And starting centre Jakob Poeltl, who next year will begin drawing paydays off a four-year extension worth $100 million, has looked unplayable. After managing just one field goal in Game 1, he managed just one field goal in Monday's first half.
Given Poeltl's ineffectiveness, rookie Collin Murray-Boyles started the second half in his place. Poeltl never saw the floor again, and why would he? Poeltl's inability to shoot has allowed the Cavs defence to essentially ignore him, leaving one of Cleveland's surplus of big bodies to roam the paint and protect the rim. That's made it difficult for the Raptors to find easy baskets with Poeltl in the game.
It was only a couple of years ago that Masai Ujiri called Poeltl a top-10 centre. Now he's a long-shot to make Toronto's starting five. There were big-picture bright spots for the Raptors. Murray-Boyles, the 20-year-old rookie, showed toughness and talent in supplying 17 points and seven rebounds.
Sandro Mamukelashvili provided an injection off the bench with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Ja'Kobe Walter looked at ease knocking in 14 points on 3-for-7 shooting. After managing just three steals in Game 1, the Raptors were more disruptive in their defensive stance. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW "I felt the fight was there," Rajakovic said.
"I'm really proud of our guys and (their) fight." What the coach was not proud of: After the Raptors vowed to take better care of the ball in the wake of an 18-turnover Game 1, they frittered away 22 turnovers in Game 2. Rajakovic made an attempt to draw attention to Cleveland's "physicality" on Monday, pointing out that Ingram didn't shoot a free throw. "Zero takes, zero makes, it's interesting," Rajakovic said. Said Barrett, who shot two free throws on a night the Cavs shot 22 free throws to Toronto's 17: "Something's got to be a foul." At least the Raptors won something Monday, prevailing in a coin-flip tiebreaker over Atlanta that means they'll pick 19th and not 20th in the June draft.
NBA history tells us teams leading a best-of-seven series 2-0 have advanced to the next round 92 per cent of the time. So the odds are stacked against the Raptors. "We have a small margin of error," Ingram said after Toronto lost Game 1. It just got smaller.
"Going home, we've got to get these next two," Barrett said. "It's still first to four. This is not impossible." SPORTS HEADLINES Get all the scores and essential coverage for the Leafs, Raptors, Jays and much more, delivered daily. Error!
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