Brandon Ingram found his clutch groove at the perfect time for Raptors
In a game where the Raptors had to have it against the Phoenix Suns, Brandon Ingram stepped up in spectacular fashion to help get the job done. The Toronto Raptors were able to snap their two-game skid and earn their second win of March after defeating the Phoenix Suns 122-115. And let’s just say, it did not come easily.
Last season, both the Raptors and Suns finished as the 11th seed in their respective conferences and missed the playoffs entirely. Now, meeting up for just the first time this 2025-26 season, they entered as 7th seeds. The Raps desperately needed a win as they fell out of a top-6 seed for just the first time since Nov. 11th.
Toronto trailed by as many as 11 points in the first half and by 10 points with just eight minutes remaining in the fourth. It did not seem hopeful for Toronto, especially considering that the Raptors entered the game with the NBA’s 29th-rated fourth-quarter offence. This time, however, Ingram would help make sure the team would not fall apart in the late stages of a ball game once again.
Ingram put up one of his best performances as a member of the Raps. Coming into the game against the Suns, BI3 had combined for just 42 points on 15-43 shooting and 3-14 shooting from beyond the arc over his last 3 outings. On Friday night, he bounced back in a big way, notching 36 points on 13-20 shooting, including draining five threes on six attempts.
All night, even when the score was not in Toronto’s favour, Ingram did an excellent job of staying calm and showing patience. He was able to make the right reads out of doubles, get to his spots, and make tough shots. His hand was hot, but he wasn’t forcing his shot. Seven of his 36 points on the night came during the final frame, as he shot 75 percent from the field in the fourth, knocking down three of his four attempts. It’s not that he went ballistic; he played correct basketball and converted what came to him.
A performance like this was extremely crucial, considering that his right-hand man, Scottie Barnes, had been dealing with a sickness. Although listed as questionable ahead of the game, Barnes still laced up and gave everything he had, but it was clear early on that he was not his normal self. Barnes looked a step slower than usual, and the Suns tried to take advantage of that. Barnes racked up three early fouls and even let Oso Ighodoro beat him off the dribble.
If the Toronto Raptors want to get back to their winning ways and make up some more ground in the Eastern Conference, they are going to need this kind of efficient Brandon Ingram going forward. Climbing out of the play-in is still very much in reach. As things stand, with 16 games remaining on the Raptors’ schedule, they are in the 7th seed. They are just half a game back of the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat from retaking the fifth spot in the conference.
What stands out most about this Ingram performance against the Suns is that it handed the Raptors a crystal-clear game plan on how they can start being successful again. Our own Samson Folk covered this as well, but Toronto’s clutch offence has become far too slow and predictable. When Ingram is on his game, he is a proven veteran and a pure bucket getter, making opposing defences largely focus on him. Toronto has been playing into that without creating advantages. Until the Suns game.
RJ Barrett was the prime beneficiary of Ingram’s defensive attention against Phoenix. In the fourth quarter, Barrett was left open as the Suns elected to double Ingram, leaving Barrett to pour in nine points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field. Barrett was also left wide open in the corner to knock down his first and only triple of the game to cap off a 13-2 run to give the Raptors a 108-107 lead with 3:35 remaining in the game. Ingram led, but he did it against Phoenix in many ways without commandeering all decision making.
Barnes also benefited from Ingram’s strong play. Since Ingram was carrying most of the offensive load, it allowed Barnes to focus on the defensive end of the floor. It was a good thing because Barnes earned the highlight of the night, coming up huge with a massive chase-down block on Jalen Green, who tried a back-scratching dunk with 43 seconds remaining to cut the lead down to two.
If that was not impressive enough, Barnes followed the massive block with a perfect pass to Barrett, who was able to pull off a dunk of his own on the ensuing fast break that put the Raps up six points, which proved to be enough.
Through the 66 games played this season, Notorious BI3 has suited up for 64 of those games. That is the second-most games he has played in a season, after playing 79 games as a rookie back when he was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers. This season, he has averaged 21.7 points, 3.8 assists, and 5.7 boards.
If Ingram can stick with this form for the remainder of the year, the sky is the limit for this team. Hopefully Toronto finally found fourth-quarter answers going forward.
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