NBA playoffs 2026 takeaways: Brandon Ingram remains MIA for Raptors as potent Cavs trio emerges

The Cleveland Cavaliers protected dwelling courtroom on Monday and are in full management of their first-round matchup towards the Toronto Raptors following a 115-105 victory in Game 2.

Cleveland’s beginning lineup and highly effective offensive system have been merely an excessive amount of for the Raptors. Let’s get into some takeaways.

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Brandon Ingram is changing into an issue — and never in a great way

The 6-foot-8 ahead, in his first energetic season with Toronto, had a lackluster 17-point Game 1 and criticized the teaching workers for his lack of pictures (9). He adopted that up by scoring a grand complete of zero factors within the first half of Game 2, placing much more stress on his teammates to offset his lack of manufacturing. I’ve completed the sport with 7 factors on 3-of-15 taking pictures.

Ingram, who has a historical past of being a reluctant 3-point shooter, is at present re-triggering outdated habits and providing restricted spacing to the Raptors, who aren’t precisely deep within the taking pictures division as is.

Cleveland’s major trio is working

Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobleyand James Harden discovered a considerable Monday evening rhythm, combining for 83 factors in Game 2.

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While all three are getting their pictures up, at no level does it appear to be a “my turn, your turn” sort of scenario.

In truth, all of them appear potent enjoying off one another, with Mobley particularly realizing and embracing the truth that his scoring is primarily going to come back off dribble penetration as a byproduct of the area created by his two guards.

Twenty-two turnovers actually did not do Toronto any favors, and whereas Jamal Shead You’ve executed an honest job changing Quickley within the beginning lineup, there’s clearly a expertise deficit in play as the 23-year-old sophomore guard is much too inconsistent to hold the function over a protracted time frame.

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While Shead is definitely adept at hanging on to the rock, he relinquishes the ball a good bit to Ingram, RJ Barrett and Scottie Barneswho’re merely overtaxed as major ball-handlers, resulting in hasty selections and indecisive play.

The return of Quickley from a strained proper hamstring cannot come quickly sufficient.

Game 3 is scheduled for 8 pm ET on Thursday in Toronto.