Raptors' Brandon Ingram Calls for More Shots After Game 1 Loss to Cavaliers

Ingram finished with only 9 field goal attempts in the Raptors' 126-113 defeat.

Apr. 19, 2026 at 1:07pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a basketball game in motion, with overlapping shapes and planes representing the players, court, and ball, conveying the strategic complexity of the playoff matchup.The Raptors' offensive struggles in Game 1 against the Cavaliers exposed the tactical chess match between coaches in the playoffs.Cleveland Today

After the Toronto Raptors' 126–113 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the 2026 Eastern Conference Playoffs, All-Star forward Brandon Ingram addressed a second-half pattern that saw him finish the game with only nine field goal attempts, a stark contrast to his regular season average of 16.7 attempts per game.

Why it matters

Ingram is the Raptors' primary scoring option, and his lack of shot attempts in the second half was a key factor in the team's loss. If the Raptors want to even the series, they'll need to find ways to get Ingram more involved in the offense.

The details

Ingram explained that the Raptors' coaching staff, led by Darko Rajakovic, made an in-game adjustment after noticing the Cavaliers were denying Ingram the ball. The coaches wanted to use Ingram as a screener and have him be more of a receiver, rather than the primary scorer. However, this strategy resulted in Ingram taking only one shot in the second half, which he acknowledged is not a winning formula.

  • The Raptors lost to the Cavaliers 126-113 in Game 1 of the 2026 Eastern Conference Playoffs.

The players

Brandon Ingram

The Raptors' All-Star forward who averaged 21.5 points per game during the regular season.

Darko Rajakovic

The head coach of the Toronto Raptors.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Raptors' opponent in the 2026 Eastern Conference Playoffs.

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What they’re saying

“Well, coach wanted to use me as a screener. Also he noticed that my man wasn't coming off me so he wanted me outside of the action and being a receiver.”

— Brandon Ingram, Raptors Forward

“At the end of the day, me shooting 9 shots is not going to win basketball games.”

— Brandon Ingram, Raptors Forward

What’s next

The Raptors and Cavaliers will play Game 2 on Friday, April 21, 2026 in Cleveland. The Raptors will need to find ways to get Ingram more involved in the offense if they want to even the series before heading back to Toronto.

The takeaway

This game highlighted the chess match between coaches in the playoffs, as the Cavaliers' defensive adjustments effectively neutralized the Raptors' primary scoring threat in Brandon Ingram. If the Raptors want to bounce back, they'll need to make their own in-game adjustments to get Ingram more shots and opportunities to score.