Darko Rajakovic praised Brandon Ingram and the bench for coming through with big plays in the Toronto Raptors' 106-96 win over the Miami Heat on Monday night.
Ingram had an impressive display against the Heat defense. In 38 minutes of action, he finished with a stat line of 28 points, five rebounds, five assists, and a block. He shot 9-of-19 from the field, including 5-of-7 from beyond the arc, and 5-of-5 from the free-throw line.
The bench players also impressed in the time they had on the court, scoring 33 points while edging out Miami's second unit. Rajakovic praised both parties after the game, per reporter Omer Osman.
“He’s very consistent. He’s getting to his spots on the floor. He’s getting really good shots. He shot the ball well, played defense really engaged. I think he played a really great game for us,” Rajakovic said.
“We need everybody. We’re not going to win if we have 3 guys and playing good basketball. Seeing contributions from Gradey, CMB defensively, Sandro was awesome, Jamal changed the game every time he stepped on the court.”
Darko on Brandon Ingram’s consistency:
“He’s very consistent. He’s getting to his spots on the floor. He’s getting really good shots.”
“He shot the ball well, played defence really engaged. I think he played a really great game for us.” https://t.co/vZGmHneC4W pic.twitter.com/n2T2M9uurt
— Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) December 16, 2025
How Brandon Ingram, Raptors played against Heat
Brandon Ingram and the bench certainly earned Darko Rajakovic's praise, helping the Raptors take down the Heat.
The matchup was close between both teams as the score was at 77-74 going into the fourth quarter. Toronto had the last laugh by outscoring Miami 32-19 in the last 12 minutes of regulation.
Perimeter shooting and ball movement made the difference in this matchup. The Raptors prevailed in both categories by making 16 3-pointers and creating 33 assists. It wasn't the same for the Heat as they only made nine triples and dished out 20 assists.
Five players scored in double-digits for Toronto in the win, including Ingram. Scottie Barnes delivered a solid performance of 17 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, three blocks, and two steals. He shot 8-of-16 overall, including 1-of-4 from downtown. Immanuel Quickley came next with 15 points and four assists, Sandro Mamukelashvili put up 11 points and seven rebounds, while Gradey Dick provided 10 points and two steals.
Toronto improved to a 16-11 record on the season, holding the third spot in the Eastern Conference standings. They are 0.5 games above the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic while trailing the New York Knicks by three games and Detroit Pistons by 5.5 games.
The Raptors will look forward to their next matchup, remaining on the road. They face the Milwaukee Bucks on Dec. 18 at 8 p.m. ET.
