Raptors tie milestone after dominating Donovan Mitchell, Cavs

After two seasons of rather poor play, there weren’t many high expectations, if any at all, for the Toronto Raptors heading into the 2025-26 season. But with the team playing with house money, they have been thriving. On Monday night, the Raptors took home another victory, this time a 110-105 win against another fellow Eastern Conference contender Cleveland Cavaliers, to move to 13-5 on the season. They are currently second in the East standings, which is such a big win considering how the previous seasons went for them.

In fact, the Raptors are playing at a level that would make every fan of the team proud. This win against the Cavs marks their eighth consecutive win, which according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet, ties their fifth-longest win streak in franchise history. That is no mean feat, especially when the Raptors were consistently a good team from 2013 to 2022.

Little did people know at the time that Brandon Ingram would become a transformative figure for the Raptors. Ingram’s stock was at an all-time low, what with the New Orleans Pelicans refusing to offer him a contract extension amid his injury woes. He was even connected to a potential trade to the Cavs, with Jarrett Allen heading to the Big Easy.

But the Raptors pounced on the opportunity to trade for Ingram, and they even gave him the extension he’s been seeking. As a result, Ingram is playing some of the best basketball of his career, and that could not have been any more evident in his 37-point night on Monday vs. the Cavs.

Raptors are turning the corner

The Raptors were catching some flak during the offseason for having one of the most expensive player payrolls in the association without having many good results to show for it. But they have turned the corner, with Ingram seizing first-option duties, freeing Scottie Barnes to roam around and fulfill his calling as a multi-positional wrecker who can play bully ball on both ends of the court.

This strong start from the Raptors is no fluke. They have a net rating of +6.8 to start the year, which shows that they are winning against opponents by a healthy margin.

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