The Toronto Raptors keep climbing, and Brandon Ingram keeps driving the surge. Ingram delivered a season-high 37 points in a 110 to 99 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, pushing Toronto to its eighth straight victory and giving the team another signature reminder of why he has transformed their offense, per Field Level Media. He controlled the night with shot creation, timely bursts, and a mid-range package that Cleveland never solved.
The best moment came after the game, when Ingram explained the source of one of his most effective weapons. A reporter asked about his pump fake, noting how consistently it frees him for rhythm shots. Ingram smiled and gave a direct answer, per MSN. “Kobe influenced me. I don’t pump fake four times like he did, but I know when an aggressive defender is guarding me and using his hands. I just kinda know when to use it,” he said, via the NBA account on X.
That link to Kobe’s approach matched the performance. Ingram hit 15 of his 30 attempts and repeatedly punished defenders with footwork, balance, and misdirection. Toronto needed every bit of it as Cleveland fought to stay within reach despite a long injury list.
Kobe’s Footwork Influence Shows Up in Toronto’s Offense
Toronto built a 12 point lead entering the fourth, yet Cleveland kept pushing. Donovan Mitchell drilled back to back threes to cut the margin to four with 4:37 left. Ingram immediately answered with a three of his own, a momentum swing that settled the Raptors and gave Barnes room to close the game with a key block and late scoring.
For most of the night, Ingram played like a stabilizing force. His late second quarter stretch changed the direction of the game. Toronto trailed by eight after missing four straight free throws until Ingram delivered four quick points, a free throw, and two contested mid-range jumpers to close a 13 to 2 run. That surge pushed the Raptors into halftime with a 57 to 54 lead.
Ingram has fit easily next to Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett because he offers something neither thrives on; isolation shot creation with variety. Barnes leans on power, Barrett attacks straight lines, but Ingram creates angles and hesitation. His pump fake, the move he credited to Bryant, has become a reliable tool for freezing defenders who expect him to rise immediately. The result is room for smoother pull ups or drives into open space.
Immanuel Quickley added 11 points and seven assists while Barnes posted 18 points and 11 rebounds. Sandro Mamukelashvili scored 12 off the bench, and Jakob Poeltl grabbed 13 rebounds. Toronto shot 48.9 percent from the field and swept the season series.
Raptors Keep Rolling While Cavs Shorthanded in Loss
Cleveland played without Darius Garland, De’Andre Hunter, Sam Merrill, Jarrett Allen, Craig Porter Jr., Max Strus, and Dean Wade. Mitchell still produced 17 points and eight assists. Jaylon Tyson added 15 and nine, and both Evan Mobley and Nae’Qwan Tomlin scored 14. The Cavs clipped the deficit several times but struggled to counter Toronto’s inside-out balance.
Ingram pushed the Raptors ahead by ten early in the third with a dunk. Cleveland trimmed it to four before he buried another three to restore momentum. Toronto closed the quarter with a twelve point lead and tightened its defense in the closing minutes. Even after Mitchell’s late threes, Ingram’s Kobe-inspired footwork delivered the needed separation.
RJ Barrett missed the game with a sprained knee.
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