When the Toronto Raptors acquired former New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram last season, they envisioned a multi-level scorer who could create problems defensively for the opposition. Through the first two games of the postseason, Ingram has been anything but the versatile scorer we saw in the regular season.
The Raptors are down 0-2 to the Cleveland Cavaliers, with Game 3 all but a must-win for Toronto to maintain any type of playoff pulse. To turn this series around, Ingram will need to live up to his All-Star billing in a hurry.
The former No. 2 overall pick opened the series with a 17-point performance in Game 1’s 126-113 loss in Cleveland. Ingram only took one shot the entire second half and was a -19 when on the court. The 6-foot-9 forward seemed to voice some frustration postgame, alluding to the team needing to find a way to create more shots for him moving forward.
Game 2 saw Ingram get more attempts, but none of them fell. He shot a woeful 3 for 15 from the floor and finished with just seven points. “Of course it would happen if you ask for more shots, that you would miss more shots,” Ingram said postgame after the loss.
Toronto now returns home, hoping a change of scenery translates into different results for Ingram and the Raptors.
Brandon Ingram tonight:
7 Points
5 Turnovers
3/15 FGM
1/3 3PM
36 Minutes pic.twitter.com/NSSxYDvXHL
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 21, 2026Raptors’ Brandon Ingram Has Picked Up Where He Left Off in His Last Playoffs With the Pelicans
Before this series, Ingram had playoff experience with the Pelicans. His first playoff run came in 2022 against the reigning Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns. Many thought it was his coming-out party, as he torched the Suns in a hotly contested six-game series that New Orleans played without Zion Williamson.
Ingram averaged 27 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists that series, but Phoenix ultimately prevailed behind a masterful Game 6 performance by Chris Paul. Still, Ingram’s performance signaled to many that the stage was not too bright for the All-Star forward, but his next playoff appearance with the Pelicans told a slightly different story.
Two seasons later, the Pelicans and Ingram were back in the playoffs, and again without Williamson in the lineup. Ingram was dealing with an injury himself, and New Orleans was no match for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who swept them in four games. The former Duke standout averaged just 14.3 points on 34% shooting from the field.
Ingram and then Pelicans coach Willie Green had an exchange after Game 2’s blowout loss because Ingram was upset about not getting the ball in the places he wanted, and he felt Green needed to facilitate that. Needless to say, both Ingram’s and Green’s time in New Orleans was short-lived. The Pelicans traded away Ingram the following season, while Green was relieved of his duties just 12 games into this season.
Brandon Ingram vs Suns Playoffs
37 PTS | 11 REB | 9 AST | 13/21 FG | 3/3 3P pic.twitter.com/mlYbvE8tw0
— IngramAlerts (@IngramAlerts) September 2, 2024
In Ingram’s first full season with the Raptors, the 28-year-old made his second All-Star appearance and helped guide the Raptors to a 46-36 regular season record. The North Carolina native averaged 21.5 points per game while also playing in the second-most games of his career (77). Injuries were a major part of his story in New Orleans, where he never played over 65 games in his six-year tenure in the Big Easy. Now, a fresh start in Toronto sees him in the playoffs again, but again struggling to get going like his last stint with the Pelicans.
The Pelicans’ newest ambition is to find themselves a new head coach this offseason, whether it’s removing the interim tag on James Borrego or hiring from outside the building. For Toronto, they are trying to keep their season on life support when they host the Cavaliers on Thursday night. Going down 0-3 will be a death sentence, so they will need Ingram to snap out of his offensive slump to lead them to victory.
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