Lights Out: Raptors adjusting to early start time - BERITAJA

TORONTO – Success successful the NBA playoffs is each about adjustments. Who could make the basal tweaks to accommodate their crippled to what the bid demands?

For renowned napper Brandon Ingram, that intends moving up his bedtime.

“Trying to get successful the furniture earlier today,” said Ingram aft believe astatine Toronto’s OVO Athletic Centre. “My girl’s about truthful she’ll get connected my nerves capable wherever I conscionable want to spell to sleep.”

Turning successful early will beryllium a necessity for Ingram — and anyone other connected the Raptors who likes to nap — arsenic Toronto hosts the Cleveland Cavaliers successful Game 4 of their opening information bid astatine 1 p.m. ET connected Sunday. Cleveland leads the best-of-seven matchup 2-1.

Starting centre Jakob Poeltl isn’t judge if the unusually early tipoff will thief aliases inhibit either team.

“It might, it mightiness not, but it’s the aforesaid for some teams,” he said. “I don’t deliberation it really matters. We person early games passim the play each now and then, truthful everybody should cognize what it feels like. I deliberation we’re fine.

“It benignant of changes the routine, obviously, because each time conscionable benignant of changes, but you still effort to do the aforesaid things earlier the game.”

Raptors caput coach Darko Rajakovic said he scheduled Saturday’s off-day believe to statement up pinch Sunday’s commencement clip to helps his players create a hit for the weekend.

“We’re giving guys 24 hours to get fresh until tomorrow,” said Rajakovic. “We’ve sewage to attraction connected things that we’re controlling.

“Those are our defensive, violative fundamentals, our culture. That’s the main attraction of it. There is not overmuch you could do regarding your assemblage clock.”

Toronto looked level successful back-to-back losses to commencement the bid successful Cleveland but routed the Cavaliers 126-104 successful Game 3 connected Thursday. Ingram said it was because everyone was much fierce connected defence.

“They didn’t make arsenic galore shots. We tried to slow down (all-star guards) Donovan Mitchell and (James) Harden a small spot more,” said Ingram. “I deliberation Harden still sewage immoderate shots that he wanted, of course, but we conscionable tried to limit Donovan Mitchell’s touches successful that crippled and conscionable make them return reliable shots.

“Guys conscionable stepped up. We needed everybody, and everybody was there.”

The Raptors announced connected Friday that Immanuel Quickley would miss the remainder of the team’s first-round series. Quickley had missed the first 3 games against Cleveland pinch a correct hamstring strain.

He had been progressing done escalating tests but aggravated the wounded connected Thursday erstwhile doing the latest information of tests.

Poeltl, who was an effective pick-and-roll partner pinch Quickley successful the regular season, said Toronto wants the constituent defender backmost arsenic soon arsenic possible.

“He’s been somewhat of a staple, astatine slightest pinch me, connected the court, for maine to play disconnected of,” sad Poeltl. ” quick. But now we conscionable sewage to make the about of what we have. Like I said earlier, we person a heavy team. We person a batch of team, a batch of guys that could travel successful and person an effect connected this team. So we conscionable sewage to spell to the adjacent option.

Quickley averaged 16.4 points and 5.9 assists successful 70 starts this season. He had missed each of Toronto’s playoff games, including Toronto’s 126-104 Game 3 win, earlier he was officially ruled retired for the remainder of the series.

Second-year defender Ja’Kobe Walter started successful Quickley’s spot for Game 3. Jamal Shead had been successful the lineup for the first 2 games of the series.

This study by BERITAJA was first published April 25, 2026.