TORONTO – It’s time for Toronto Raptors all-stars Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes to step up and they know it.
Ingram and Barnes will take center stage when the Raptors begin their first-round playoff series against the Cavaliers in Cleveland on Saturday afternoon. Ingram, who was Toronto’s leading scorer in the regular season, said after six days off between games he will prepare for the intensity of the postseason.
“I’m ready to be effective in any way I can be, whether it’s offensively or defensively,” Ingram said at the OVO Athletic Centre, the Raptors’ practice facility. “But at some point in the game, you have to give it to your best players and let them make a play.
“I’ll be ready.”
Barnes’ 18.1 points per game were the third most for Toronto behind RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., who scored 19.3. More importantly, the six-foot-eight Barnes is the Raptors’ defensive lynchpin, guarding all five positions.
“I feel like I’m great defensively, I help our team a lot and I’m one of the best defenders in the NBA,” said Barnes, who led Toronto with 1.5 blocks and 1.4 steals per game. “I’m proud of it and I’ve always been since I first started.
“That’s where my energy comes from and that’s what I pride myself on every time I go on the floor.”
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The Raptors (46-36) moved up to fifth in the Eastern Conference in the final game of the regular season, setting up a first-round matchup with the fourth-place Cavaliers (50-32).
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Something of a clash of styles, Cleveland has a high-powered offense that can score from any position. Guards Donovan Mitchell and James Harden are top-tier isolation players, while forwards Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley can both defend and score.
Toronto plays a highly physical style that emphasizes rotation-heavy defense to create mismatches with Barnes, rookie forward Collin Murray-Boyles and veteran center Jakob Poeltl the core.
“I like our chances and what we can do out there on the floor,” Barnes said. “I think we can do a great job of using our physicality in this series. I feel like our guards can do a great job of putting pressure on their guards.
“Just being able to match their physicality, jump, be able to take it to the rim. And then BI there, he’s going to do his thing.”
Ingram said he is excited to break down the Cavaliers’ defense, led by Mobley, the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year.
“I think the good thing about this (series) is that there are no backs,” Ingram said. “You play a game and see everything they did or everything they were trying to pull off, and then you just write another game plan and see if it’s successful.
“I’m excited about that, to come out and see how we can outplay them.”
Neither Ingram nor Barnes have ever won an NBA playoff series.
Ingram’s New Orleans Pelicans lost in the first round to the Phoenix Suns in 2022 and were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2024. Barnes’ only playoff appearance was Toronto’s last postseason run when the Raptors lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in six games to 20.
“They’ve been playing basketball their whole lives, they’ve been playing for this big stage,” Toronto head coach Darko Rajakovic said. “I know how much this team cares about this point in the season and how hard they work to be in this position and qualify directly for the playoffs. Those guys will do everything possible to be very competitive.
“We don’t control our score. We control our preparation. We control what we do possession by possession and that’s how we’re going to approach this series.”
THE TALE OF THE TAPE
Regular season series: 3-0 for Toronto
Points per game: Toronto, 114.6 (21); Cleveland, 119.5 (fourth)
Points Against Per Game: Toronto, 111.8 (nine); Cleveland, 115.4 (15)
Highlights: Toronto, Ingram 21.5 per game; Cleveland, Mitchell 27.9 per game
Top assists: Toronto, Immanuel Quickley 5.9 per game; Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell 5.7 per game
Top rebounds: Toronto, Barnes 7.5 per game; Cleveland, Evan Mobley, nine per game
The big stat: This is the fourth time the Raptors and Cavaliers have ever met in the playoffs, with Cleveland winning the previous three series. Every Cavs win featured the all-time great LeBron James.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on April 17, 2026.
&copies 2026 The Canadian Press
