Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Josh Lewenberg: More from Darko on the process of getting/keeping Ingram healthy: "It took a lot of work, a lot of preparation, a lot of dedication from everybody and I am super grateful for the group of people we have that care so much, and for BI and the way he has handled the whole process."
NBA Communications: Other nominees… West: Devin Booker (PHX), DeMar DeRozan (SAC), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC), Kawhi Leonard (LAC), Austin Reaves (LAL) and Victor Wembanyama (SAS) East: Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane (ORL), Jalen Brunson (NYK), Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren (DET), Brandon Ingram (TOR) and Jalen Johnson (ATL)
Michael Grange: For just 2nd time in nearly 4 months, Raps win vs top-10 team holding tough in 4thQ for 119-108 win vs Pistons. Brandon Ingram w/ 34, RJ Barrett w/ 27, Jakob Poeltl w/ 21/18, Scottie Barnes with 14/10/8. Cunningham w/ 33. Raps improve to 37-29, Pistons 48-19. Raps alone in 6th. Five-game road swing next.
Josh Lewenberg: The perfect Brandon Ingram game, basically. Showed patience. Got to his spots. Made tough shots & the right reads out of doubles. They needed it, especially with Barnes sick. BI last 3 games: 42 points, 15-43 FG, 3-14 3P Tonight: 36 points, 13-20 FG, 5-6 3P Big, much-needed win
Advertisement
MIchael Grange: Brandon Ingram had a stomach problem yesterday but he is available vs. Mavericks.
Josh Lewenberg: Brandon Ingram is questionable for tomorrow’s game in Minnesota with a left thumb sprain (he hit it late in yesterday’s loss to New York). CMB remains out - also with a left thumb sprain.
Within two months of the Raptors trading for Ingram, Shead made a bet with the All-Star on the result of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament semifinal between both teams’ alma maters. It ended with Ingram wearing a Jamal Shead University of Houston jersey on the bench. More recently, Shead was the first one to greet centre Trayce Jackson-Davis, this year’s lesser-known deadline acquisition, when he arrived in the Raptors’ locker room. Shead took the crucial step of adding Jackson-Davis to the group chat. “A character,” Jackson-Davis said less than a week into being teammates with Shead. “He’s the life of the party. Full of energy, a good spirit and a great teammate.”
Dejounte Murray felt heavy. And each passing day felt heavier than the last. “A dark cloud” hovered above him, he says. Refusing to dissipate, the cloud enveloped his thoughts, his emotions. “Everything,” Murray says, “was just dark.” It was June 2024. The Atlanta Hawks had just traded him to New Orleans. There had been so much excitement in the air; hope for him to help turn around the Pelicans franchise by creating a formidable trio alongside Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. Everything had been going well even before his change of scenery. Almost too well, he now surmises, looking back on this moment. Murray had been averaging a career high in points in Atlanta after receiving a hard-earned All-Star nod with San Antonio in 2022. From the outside, it seemed as if a new opportunity next to other young stars could lead him back to All-Star status in New Orleans.
Advertisement
Brandon Ingram on Ja'Kobe Walter: “Well, on the defensive side of the basketball, he’s aggressive. On-ball defense, he makes guys not want to dribble the basketball. We actually kinda went at it in practice the other day, where he was kinda getting into my s*** and playing defense. And I definitely think he has that mentality every single time he steps on the floor. He has high character, so whenever he comes on the floor, he wants to do the best that he can. He’s willing to learn. Like I said, he gets better every single game. And overall, I think he’s gonna be a good pro in this league.”
Michael Grange: It's a wrap. Not one for framing but Raps get key win coming out of break, 110-101 @ Bulls. Ingram leads with 31. Raps force 20 TOs which helps make up for some sketch shooting and 14 of their own TOs. Toronto (33-23) gets a couple of days off and heads to MIL on for Sunday.
Q. If the NBA Europe thing happens, would you be interesting interested in playing over in Europe? Brandon Ingram: In Europe? Like during what time? Like during the summer or something? I'm not interested. I mean, maybe once or twice, but nah, not all the time.
Ivica Zubac: It was the third year. I finished my first season strong, played pretty well. Then Magic Johnson came to the team. Before Summer League, they told me I had to be Summer League MVP. If not, they’d be disappointed. I wasn’t MVP. Q. You weren’t? Zubac: No. We won the Summer League. I played well, but not MVP. That team was loaded. The best team in Summer League history. Me, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Kyle Kuzma, Alex Caruso, Thomas Bryant was coming off the bench. Seven or eight legit NBA guys. How can you be MVP on that team? Sometimes you can’t even get the ball. We won it all. Summer League ends. The season starts soon. Two weeks before the season, they sign Andrew Bogut. Magic Johnson calls me in. Says I didn’t improve all summer. “You didn’t improve. You won’t play.” Camp hadn’t even started. And he’s telling me I won’t play. I’m thinking, I stayed all summer, didn’t play for the national team. All summer in L.A. with my trainers. Strength coach, skill coach, did everything they wanted. What else could I do? If I didn’t improve, that’s on you. Second season, I barely played at all. Third season starts, they sign JaVale McGee. He’s the starter, no other real center. Michael Beasley plays backup center.
