Brandon Ingram Leaves Game 5 Loss To Cavaliers Early With Heel Injury As Raptors Now Face Elimination

The Raptors lost Brandon Ingram early on Wednesday night with a right heel injury, something that could make a significant impact as they enter a must-win game later this week in Toronto.

Ingram left the team’s 125-120 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers early on Wednesday. The win gave Cleveland a 3-2 lead in the first-round series and put it one win away from making it to a third straight Eastern Conference semifinals. 

Ingram left the game near the midway point of the second quarter after losing the ball near the wing. It didn’t appear that anything happened in the moment, but he pulled up limping after Evan Mobley, who got his hand on Ingram’s shot attempt, was fouled at the other end. 

Ingram checked himself out of the game and limped off to the locker room at Rocket Arena. He did not return, and the team quickly ruled him out with a right heel injury.

Ingram had just one point and two assists in 11 minutes when he went down. He entered Wednesday averaging 14.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game so far in the series with Cleveland. 

Even though the Cavaliers managed just a single point in the final three minutes of the game, they held on to grab the five-point win. James Harden led the Cavaliers with 23 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Mobley had 23 points and nine rebounds, and Donovan Mitchell added 19 points. Cleveland shot 50% from behind the arc.

RJ Barrett led Toronto with 25 points and 12 rebounds and was one of six players to hit double figures. Ja’Kobe Walter added 20 points on six 3-pointers, and Scottie Barnes finished just shy of a triple-double with 17 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. 

The Cavaliers, now 10-0 against the Raptors in the postseason at home, are 10-1 in the playoffs when leading a series 3-2. The Raptors, on the other hand, are 0-5 when trailing 3-2. 

Game 6 of the series is set for Friday night at Scotiabank Arena.

While specifics of Ingram’s injury aren’t yet known, even a lingering heel problem would undoubtedly make the Raptors’ quest to make it out of the first round that much more difficult.