Brandon Ingram did not just hit a game-winner. He broke down exactly why it was there and why Pascal Siakam never really had a chance.
Ingram’s cold-blooded jumper with 1.9 seconds left lifted the Toronto Raptors to a 97-95 win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night, pushing their win streak to nine games and keeping Scotiabank Arena buzzing like it was 2019 again.
The matchup everyone circled before the game ended up deciding it. Brandon Ingram vs. Pascal Siakam, one-on-one at the elbow with the clock melting away. Siakam was sitting on five fouls. Ingram knew it.
“I knew he was in foul trouble and I knew he didn’t want to be overly aggressive, so he was at my mercy at that point,” Ingram told reporters after the win.
The numbers back up how ruthless that read was. According to the ESPN box score, Brandon Ingram finished with 26 points, eight rebounds, and two steals on 11-of-23 shooting, including 3-of-5 from deep, while carrying the Raptors’ offense late. Pascal Siakam countered with 11 points, four rebounds, and two assists, but picked up his fifth foul midway through the fourth and clearly had to dial back his physicality on that final possession.
The Toronto Raptors needed every bit of it. They trailed by as many as 12 in the third quarter before climbing back and keeping the game within one possession for most of the fourth. But the Indiana Pacers actually held the scoring edge late, outscoring Toronto 25-21 in the final frame, according to the ESPN box score.
Scottie Barnes added 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Immanuel Quickley chipped in 15 points and six assists as Toronto shot 49 percent from the field.
On the other side, the Indiana Pacers got solid efforts across the board, but their late-game execution slipped in the final minute, opening the door for Brandon Ingram’s winner.
