Ingram’s Buzzer-Beater Lifts Raptors to Ninth Straight Win
So this Raptors–Pacers matchup turned into one of those nights where everything felt messy, physical, and unpredictable — right up until Brandon Ingram decided he was done with all of that. With just 0.6 seconds left on the clock, Ingram rose up for a smooth 15-footer, and the game-winner was drilled as the crowd at Scotiabank Arena erupted. Just like that, Toronto walked away with a dramatic 97-95 win and extended its streak to nine straight victories.
What made this finish even more important was what it meant for the in-season Emirates NBA Cup. With the win — plus the Bucks losing earlier in the night — the Raptors officially clinched a top-two seed and secured home court for the quarterfinals. It’s been a while since Toronto has played a truly meaningful, high-stakes game at home, but one is coming in early December.
Ingram was massive all night, finishing with 26 points and eight rebounds. Scottie Barnes kept the Raptors afloat whenever the offense sputtered, putting up 24 points and 10 boards in another steady, all-around performance. Immanuel Quickley chipped in with 15 points and six assists for a Raptors squad that is still pretty banged up.
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Indiana didn’t make anything easy. Even though they came in struggling, the Pacers showed some real fight. TJ McConnell came off the bench and nearly messed around with a triple-double, and Jarace Walker battled for 13 points while almost grabbing a double-double. Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard tried to inject life into the backcourt, combining for 24 points.
The night wasn’t without concerns for Toronto. Gradey Dick took a hard fall in the first quarter and didn’t return. With RJ Barrett already sidelined for at least another week, head coach Darko Rajaković had to adjust on the fly. He went with a bigger starting unit, even giving rookie Collin Murray-Boyles a spot in the lineup. Although Murray-Boyles didn’t play long, the Raptors still controlled the glass and outscored Indiana in the paint.
The real turning point arrived late in the second quarter when Toronto exploded on an 11-0 run to flip the game. That momentum carried into the third as a 13-1 stretch — capped by an Ingram three — helped the Raptors get some breathing room. And considering how ugly the shooting night was (only 5-for-26 from deep), every one of those runs mattered.
Indiana briefly regained the lead in the fourth after a big Mathurin three, and from there, the game turned into a classic back-and-forth grind. But when it truly mattered, Toronto made the defensive plays — a Jakob Poeltl block and a forced turnover by Barnes — and finally the winning shot that sealed everything.
Next up, Indiana heads home to face Washington, while Toronto travels to Charlotte looking to push its streak into double digits.
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