With the NBA Cup quarterfinal matchup between the Toronto Raptors (15-10) and New York Knicks (16-7) approaching, Raptors forward Brandon Ingram delivered a pointed message to his team: one rooted in urgency, accountability, and memory.

Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s elimination game, Ingram stressed that Toronto can’t afford to carry recent frustrations into the postseason-style environment of the in-season tournament.

“What I’d personally say is throw everything out of the window,” Ingram said. “We’re going through a little stretch where things haven’t gone our way… just remember what happened to us in New York, remember that feeling, and come ready to play. Clear our minds and just play free.”

Toronto enters the matchup at 5-5 over its last 10 games, shooting 46.6% from the field while averaging 111.1 points per contest.

The Raptors have struggled with consistency but continue to dominate in the paint, ranking fourth in the Eastern Conference with 53.8 points inside.

Much of that has been fueled by Scottie Barnes, who is averaging 18 points over his last stretch and 10.5 paint points per game overall.

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The Raptors will need that interior presence, especially after the Knicks dominated the previous meeting on Nov. 30, winning 116-94 behind 22 points from Karl-Anthony Towns. That loss is exactly what Ingram wants his team to remember.

Meanwhile, the Knicks enter red hot, winning 8 of their last 10, averaging 119.8 points and 15.4 threes per game.

Led by Jalen Brunson’s 28 points and 6.4 assists per night, New York has emerged as a contender and owns one of the best home records in the league.

Still, Ingram believes Toronto is built for moments like this. “Just understand what's our goal out of this,” he added. “Play hard… but the biggest thing is to clear our minds.”

With elimination pressure, rivalry history, and tournament stakes, Tuesday’s matchup has the energy of May in early December, and Toronto’s leader just made sure no one steps onto the floor unfocused.