Toronto Raptors stars Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes are ready to take centre stage as the team begins its first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday afternoon in Cleveland.<\/p>\n
Ingram, the Raptors\u2019 leading scorer during the regular season, said the six-day break before the playoffs will help him prepare for the heightened intensity. \u201cI\u2019m ready to be effective in any way that I can be, whether it\u2019s offensively or defensively,\u201d Ingram said at the Raptors\u2019 OVO Athletic Centre. \u201cBut, at some point in the game, you\u2019ve got to give it to your best players and let them go make a play. I\u2019ll be ready.\u201d<\/p>\n
Barnes, who averaged 18.1 points per game\u2014third-highest on the team behind RJ Barrett\u2019s 19.3\u2014will also play a crucial role, especially on defense. The six-foot-eight forward is the Raptors\u2019 defensive anchor, guarding all five positions. He led the team with 1.5 blocks and 1.4 steals per game.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like I\u2019m great defensively, I help our team a lot, and I\u2019m one of the best defenders in the NBA,\u201d Barnes said. \u201cI take pride in that every time I step onto the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Raptors finished the regular season with a 46-36 record, securing fifth place in the Eastern Conference and setting up a matchup against the fourth-place Cavaliers, who posted a 50-32 record.<\/p>\n
The two teams feature contrasting styles. Cleveland boasts a high-powered offense with top-tier isolation players Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, while forwards Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley bring both defensive and scoring talent. Toronto\u2019s game is faster paced and physical, emphasizing defense and using rotations involving Barnes, rookie Collin Murray-Boyles, and veteran centre Jakob Poeltl to create mismatches.<\/p>\n
Barnes expressed confidence in the Raptors\u2019 chances. \u201cI think we can do a great job of using our physicality in this series,\u201d he said. \u201cOur guards can put pressure on their guards. Matching their physicality, rebounding, and taking it to the rim will be key. And then BI out there, he\u2019s going to do his thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ingram is eager to test the Cavaliers\u2019 defense, spearheaded by Mobley, the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year. \u201cThe good thing about this series is there are no back-to-backs,\u201d Ingram said. \u201cYou play one game, see what they did or tried to take away, then write up another game plan and see if it\u2019s successful. I\u2019m excited to see how we can outsmart them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Neither Ingram nor Barnes has yet won an NBA playoff series. Ingram\u2019s previous playoff runs with the New Orleans Pelicans ended in first-round exits in 2022 and 2024, and Barnes’ only playoff experience was Toronto\u2019s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in six games in 2022.<\/p>\n
Toronto head coach Darko Rajakovic praised his players\u2019 focus. \u201cThey\u2019ve been playing basketball their whole lives, and they\u2019ve been preparing for this big stage,\u201d Rajakovic said. \u201cThis team cares deeply about this moment and worked hard to qualify directly for the playoffs. Those guys will do everything possible to be very competitive. We don\u2019t control the outcome. We control our preparation and what we do possession by possession. That\u2019s our approach.\u201d<\/p>\n
During the regular season, Toronto swept Cleveland 3-0. The Raptors averaged 114.6 points per game, ranking 21st, while Cleveland posted 119.5 points, fourth-best in the league. Defensively, Toronto allowed 111.8 points per game (ninth), compared to Cleveland\u2019s 115.4 (15th).<\/p>\n
Top players for the series: Ingram leads Toronto with 21.5 points per game, while Mitchell tops Cleveland with 27.9. Assists leaders are Immanuel Quickley with 5.9 per game for Toronto and Donovan Mitchell with 5.7 for Cleveland. Barnes leads the Raptors in rebounds with 7.5 per game; Evan Mobley leads Cleveland with nine.<\/p>\n
This marks the fourth playoff meeting between the Raptors and Cavaliers, with Cleveland winning all three previous series\u2014each featuring LeBron James.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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