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Scottie Barnes believes Raptors need Brandon Ingram to beat Cavs
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- Scottie Barnes believes Raptors need Brandon Ingram to beat Cavs
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The Toronto Raptors are on the brink of elimination following a 125-120 loss in Wednesday’s Game 5 matchup vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers . Darko Rajakovic’s squad led by 12 early in the fourth quarter but could not close out the win after losing Brandon Ingram to a heel injury.
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Ingram played 12 minutes before exiting the game due to left heel inflammation. Scottie Barnes said the Raptors will need the star forward moving forward if they hope to come back to win the series.
“We needed him out there on the floor. The way they guard him, his shot-making ability when he’s out there on the floor [is important]. He makes big plays for us on the defensive end as well, getting rebounds and blocks. We need him out on the floor,” Barnes said.
Toronto was unable to generate consistent offense down the stretch of Game 5 with Ingram sidelined.
Brandon Ingram exits Raptors’ Game 5 loss with heel injury
Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images
The Raptors shot 7-of-28 (25.0 percent) from the field and 2-of-12 (16.7 percent) from three while being outscored 25-17 in the fourth quarter. RJ Barrett scored a game-high 25 points on 9-of-19 shooting. However, Barnes struggled to find his scoring touch against Cleveland’s defense, scoring 17 points on 6-of-16 shooting.
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Meanwhile, Evan Mobley and James Harden combined for 46 points on 15-of-26 shooting for the Cavaliers.
Ingram has struggled in the series, averaging 14.8 points , 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists on 33.9 percent shooting across the first four games. Still, the All-Star forward’s perimeter scoring and floor spacing are critical for a Raptors team that ranked 22nd in clutch offensive rating (106.9) during the regular season.
The Raptors will travel to Cleveland on Friday for a win-or-go-home Game 6 matchup.
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