Brandon Ingram's big game shows Raptors have truly arrived

The Toronto Raptors are ready to contend in the Eastern Conference.

On Monday, the Raptors (13-5, second in Eastern Conference) defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 110-99, thanks to a monster performance from forward Brandon Ingram, who scored a season-high 37 points on 15-of-30 shooting, including 5-of-11 from beyond the arc.

Brandon Ingram's big game shows Raptors should be feared in Eastern Conference

Toronto benefited from a depleted Cleveland roster that was without Darius Garland (injury management), De'Andre Hunter (rest), Max Strus (foot), Sam Merrill (hand), Craig Porter Jr. (hamstring) and Jarrett Allen (finger), all unavailable. But to the Raptors' credit, they didn't take the Cavaliers (12-7, fourth in Eastern Conference), who still had early MVP candidate Donovan Mitchell, lightly. They led 57-54 at halftime and broke away in the third when outscoring the Cavs by nine, 31-22.

More importantly, Ingram showed he can take over games and be a score-first option on a team that's just regaining its footing after a long hangover following a 2019 championship.

Toronto already has a strong defense, and a player with Ingram's scoring punch should make it dangerous all season. As Raptors reporter Keerthika Uthayakumar noted on social media, Toronto clamped down defensively down the stretch against the Cavaliers, holding them scoreless over the game's final 4:37.