Raptors' Brandon Ingram Has Request After Game 1 Loss to Cavaliers

Brandon Ingram addresses his low second-half usage in the Toronto Raptors' Game 1 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram warms up before game one of the first round. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

After the Toronto Raptors' 126–113 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the 2026 Eastern Conference Playoffs, All-Star forward Brandon Ingram addressed a second-half pattern that saw him finish the game with only nine field goal attempts.

His comments shed light on a tactical chess match where Cleveland’s defense effectively turned the Raptors’ primary scoring engine into a decoy.

Brandon Ingram on only taking 1 shot in the second half:

"Well, coach wanted to use me as a screener. Also he noticed that my man wasn't coming off me so he wanted me outside of the action and being a receiver.

At the end of the day, me shooting 9 shots is not going to win… pic.twitter.com/m4Sk0RDSEt

— William Lou (@william_lou) April 18, 2026

The Strategic Shift: From Scorer to Screener

During the post-game press conference, Ingram explained that the coaching staff, led by Darko Rajakovic, made an in-game adjustment after noticing the Cavaliers were denying Ingram the ball.

"Well, coach wanted to use me as a screener. Also he noticed that my man wasn't coming off me so he wanted me outside of the action and being a receiver," Ingram said postgame.

Tactical Breakdown

• The Cavaliers defenders played Ingram with a tight coverage. By using Ingram as a screener for teammates like Scottie Barnes or RJ Barrett, the Raptors hoped to force the Cavaliers into uncomfortable defensive switches or leave a lane open for the ball-handler.
• By moving Ingram outside of the action, the goal was to keep the floor spaced. If his defender refused to leave him to help on drives, it theoretically created 4-on-4 opportunities for the rest of the Raptors' roster.

9 Shots is Not Enough

While the tactical intent was to loosen the defense, the execution resulted in an alarming drop in Ingram's volume. Ingram finished the night with 17 points on 5/9 shooting, a stark contrast to his season average of 16.7 field goal attempts per game.

Ingram was blunt about the sustainability of this strategy: "At the end of the day, me shooting 9 shots is not going to win basketball games."

For someone who averaged 21.5 points during the regular season, a single shot attempt in the second half of a playoff game represents a significant failure in offensive flow.

Adjusting for Game 2

The Cavaliers' defensive game plan, knowing the Raptors' sets and sticking to Ingram's jersey, clearly caught the Raptors off guard. Ingram noted that the Cavaliers "knew most of the stuff we've been running all year," a common hurdle in the transition from regular season to playoff basketball.

• The Raptors must find ways to get Ingram touches in his money spots without relying solely on him to create off the dribble.
• Expect to see more off-ball movement and pin-down screens designed specifically to get Ingram the ball while he is already in motion, making him harder to deny.
• Ingram has to have more intent in his on-court strategy and make the right adjustments as someone with 10 years of experience in the league. He has to get aggressive with his shots early on in the game.

If Ingram doesn't become more prominent on offence, the Raptors could be halfway to an elimination before heading back to Toronto.

Sign up for our free newsletter, which will bring all Toronto Raptors On SI stories every weekday to your email.