After the Toronto Raptors dispatched the Utah Jazz on Sunday night on a night Scottie Barnes was named to his second NBA all-star game, the post-game reaction wasn’t all upbeat.

While everyone was happy for Barnes, there was some shock and even anger that leading scorer Brandon Ingram was not selected by Eastern Conference head coaches to make his own second all-star trip.

“I think it’s a travesty that BI isn’t on the team,” Raptors veteran leader Garrett Temple told the Toronto Sun.

“Done great for us, he’s fit in like a glove. Personality-wise, offensively, to be able to have a guy that you can go to that can create his own shot in the mid- range like he does, helps us tremendously,” Temple said.

“A lot of onus gets on him sometimes when we get stagnant, but he’s been able to pull us through a lot of games, and I appreciate him for that.”

Coach wasn’t pleased

Head coach Darko Rajakovic said at his post-game availability “while we’re talking about Scottie, I feel disappointed that BI did not make it to all-star as well. I think that he definitely deserved it,” Rajakovic said. “I think the way he’s competing and playing this year, and how much he’s putting into it, and the way he’s scoring and helping us to win basketball games. I think that he definitely deserves to be in.”

One Raptor wondered how the coaches could constantly say how much they value winning and then leave off a player that has been so crucial to Toronto’s charge up the standings.

Barnes said “I don’t know how (Ingram didn’t make it). He been balling. He does so much for out team, and being from where our team was last year (they equalled the 2024-25 total of 30 wins with Sunday’s victory) to this year, his impact on our team is instrumental to our success,” Barnes said. ‘It’s ridiculous that he’s not there.”

Some time later another Raptor yelled out “f***ing ridiculous,” as Ingram prepared to give his thoughts to a few reporters.

What Ingram said

When the soft-spoken forward did talk, he was calm and measured, brushing away any lingering disappointment.

“In the moment, of course it stung,” Ingram said.

“It was hard to internalize during the game. I had to put it away and figure out the best way to be effective on the floor and win the game today.”

“We always talk about standards for self. Maybe my standard is equal to what they think my standards should be, as well,” Ingram said. “It’s only motivation to keep going, keep finding ways to get better and keep trying to win.”

When Ingram first spoke to the media shortly after being acquired from New Orleans last February, he had indicated that after years of injury-plagued campaigns for under the radar, mostly struggling teams, he was hoping for a “fresh start” and to remind people what he was capable of. Has the former Duke star and No. 2 overall draft selection done that?

“Nah, I ain’t done it yet. I think I gotta do it again,” he said. “I’ve kind of stepped back and given myself a little grace. There have been days when I’ve woke up a little tired, my body wasn’t feeling great but I still pushed through. Shout out to the medical team for keeping me on the floor as much as possible. This is as much as I’ve played in a long time. The second half of the season should be a great one,” he said.