Ingram is enjoying life with the Raptors, and Rajkovich’s relentless energy

When Brandon Ingram was traded from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Raptors last season, he made it clear that he wanted to stay in Toronto.

But there is a special part of being a raptor that he loves.

“I guess Darko is coming into the locker room, yelling,” Ingram laughed, referring to head coach Darko Rajkovic’s habit of running into Toronto’s locker room, yelling, to cheer on his players. “It’s not just one day, it’s every day. He brings energy every single day. He’s the leader of our team.

“He makes sure we bring it around in practice, games, goalies. He makes sure we have it every time we step on the basketball floor.”

Added Ingram: “That, to me, is the best part about being here: a coach that’s there every single day.”

The low-key Ingram said despite scoring a season-high 37 points to lead Toronto past the Cleveland Cavaliers 110-99 on Monday. It was his most points since he scored 32 runs for New Orleans on Nov. 16, 2024.

“I felt good tonight. Just threw myself out there and was in the flow of the game,” said Ingram, who missed most of last season with a sprained left leg. “I didn’t feel tired, I just kept shooting.

“I just kept doing what the defense was giving me. I felt good. I wasn’t tired.”

Cleveland’s defense was especially generous in the third quarter as Ingram scored 15 points and the Raptors outscored the Cavaliers 31-22.

“When he’s going like that, he’s proven that time and time again, not just this year, but throughout his career, once he gets going, give him the ball,” point guard Jamal Shead said. “He’s not just going to shoot it all the time, he’s going to make the right play.”

Ingram leads the Raptors with an average of 21.6 points per game. He is also averaging 5.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists so far this season.

Rajkovich said he appreciated the versatility of Ingram’s game, even though he was billed as a shooter when New Orleans dealt him to Toronto on Feb. 6 for guard-forward Bruce Brown, center Kyle Olynyk, a 2026 first-round pick and a 2031 second-round pick.

“Brandon did a great job defensively, too,” Rajkovich said after Ingram grabbed seven defensive rebounds and had one steal. “I thought he rebounded the ball well, he was in the right places, he was getting away from it.”

“He’s doing it both ways on the floor, and he’s really helping us out.”

The win extended the Raptors’ streak to 8 consecutive games and they are 12-1 in their last 13 games. Ingram laughed when asked if he was this hot on the last team.

“(Expletive) high school?” Ingram said. “I don’t think one person in the locker room talked about the streak, and I don’t think Darko would let it enter our locker room.”

“We take it day by day. We know that every day is an opportunity to get better, and we’re just worried about the next opponent.”

Toronto (13-5) is first in the Atlantic Division, two games up on the New York Knicks. The Raptors are 2 1/2 games behind the first-place Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference standings.

They host the Indiana Pacers (2-15) on Wednesday with a strong chance to continue their streak.

“We’re turning it around from last year,” Shade said. “We saw the potential last year, and it’s really cool to see.

“I think everybody has been great. I think everybody, like the 13 guys that play, all come in and contribute.”