TORONTO - Toronto Raptors stars Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes are prepared for the postseason spotlight as the team faces the Cleveland Cavaliers in their first-round playoff series.
Ingram, Toronto's leading scorer in the regular season, expressed readiness for the playoff intensity after a six-day break. "I'm ready to be effective in any way that I can be, whether it's offensively or defensively," Ingram stated. "At some point in the game, you’ve got to give it to your best players and let them go make a play. I'll be ready."
Scottie Barnes, who averaged 18.1 points per game and serves as the Raptors' defensive anchor, is confident in his abilities. "I feel like I’m great defensively, I help our team a lot, and I’m one of the best defenders in the NBA," Barnes said. "I take pride in that and that’s always been me."
The Raptors secured the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, setting up a matchup with the fourth-seed Cavaliers. Cleveland boasts a potent offense led by guards Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, supported by forwards Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. Toronto counters with an uptempo, physical style, focusing on defense and rotations, with Barnes, rookie Collin Murray-Boyles, and Jakob Poeltl as key components.
Neither Ingram nor Barnes have previously won an NBA playoff series. Ingram's Pelicans lost in the first round in 2022 and 2024, while Barnes's previous playoff appearance saw Toronto eliminated in the first round in 2022. Head coach Darko Rajakovic emphasized preparation and execution, stating, "We control our preparation. We control what we do possession by possession and that’s how we’re going to approach this series."