Raptors' Collin Murray-Boyles pushing through 'rookie wall'

Collin Murray-Boyles is in his first season with the Toronto Raptors.

Toronto Raptors forward center Collin Murray-Boyles gets a rebound from Charlotte Hornets guard Sion James. | Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

Toronto Raptors rookie forward Collin Murray-Boyles continues to impress as the team approaches the second half of the season.

Murray-Boyles has been stepping up to the plate recently, entering the starting lineup with players like RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl out on the sidelines with injuries. Raptors forward Brandon Ingram praised Murray-Boyles for fighting through adversity in his first NBA season.

“Usually around this time you see rookies hit the rookie wall before All-Star [Weekend], but he just keeps on competing every single night. He’s what you get from offensive rebound, defensive rebound, finish around the rim. Occasionally he'll shoot a three outside, but you know, his IQ helps him be on the floor and he's able to make good passes," Ingram said of Murray-Boyles.

Murray-Boyles making key plays

Murray-Boyles certainly played his part in the team's latest win against the Indiana Pacers. His 10 points and 10 rebounds helped the Raptors in a big way, especially at the beginning and end of the game, both of which saw Toronto at its most dominant pace.

“No, definitely like they're a team that [if] you relax for a moment. you know even when you score they are able to score in two seconds on the other side," Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic said after the win against the Pacers.

"So it's very physically demanding to play against them and we were preparing ourself mentally and and physically for this type of game. It really came down at the end to two small things. First quarter we did great job. We knew that they're going to at some point make some run there but at the end we did a good job closing the game.”

Murray-Boyles was a +23, one shy of the team-high, in the win over the Pacers. He continues to show why the Raptors were smart to take him with the No. 9 overall pick in the NBA Draft last summer. If he continues to play at this pace for the Raptors, the sky is truly the limit to what he can accomplish, which should help Toronto make it pretty far on the path towards a championship.

Murray-Boyles and the Raptors will take the court again as they face Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET inside Scotiabank Arena. Fans can watch the game on TSN Sports or stream it on NBA League Pass.