Ingram Out for Raptors-Cavs Game 7 with Heel Injury

Cleveland, Ohio - Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram sat out Game 7 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday due to a sore right heel, leaving the team without one of its top scorers in a winner-take-all matchup.

Ingram aggravated the injury midway through the second quarter of Game 5 on Wednesday night, a 125-120 loss in Cleveland where he managed just one point in 11 minutes before exiting. The same heel issue had sidelined him for three games late in the regular season. He also missed Game 6 on Friday in Toronto, which the Raptors won in overtime to force Sunday's decisive contest. Before Game 7, Ingram remained in a walking boot during the team's shootaround, prompting coaches to rule him out.

Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic addressed the situation prior to tipoff. "The injury right now is such that he needs to rest and go easy on his heel and we'll see where he is at after this," Rajakovic said.

Guard Jamal Shead started in Ingram's place for the second straight game. The second-year player from Houston struggled with his shot in Game 6, going 2-for-9 from the field for seven points, but contributed six assists, solid...