Toronto loses to the Nuggets after Brandon Ingram is called for a prayer

The Toronto Raptors suffered a terrible loss this Wednesday. Their game against the Denver Nuggets should have been a cakewalk. With Nikola Jokic joining a number of Nuggets players already injured, Toronto was a heavy favorite to win the contest and enter 2026 with a win.

Unfortunately, the Raptors walked right into a trap game. The Nuggets, behind 24 points from Peyton Watson and 21 points from Jamal Murray, entered the Scotiabank Arena and gave Toronto hell. By contrast, Toronto’s usually solid bench unit struggled to get going, resulting in a game that was uncomfortably close given the circumstances of the visiting team.

Despite their struggles, the Raptors were given a golden opportunity to save themselves. The Nuggets led 106-103 with 2.7 seconds left in the game. Bruce Brown was at the line for his second free throw attempt. Brown missed and Scotty Barnes collected the rebound. Barnes found it Brandon Ingram down the yard and awarded him a pass. Ingram caught the pass, rose and drained a 3-pointer to send the game into overtime. The Raptors had a chance.

Except, well, they really had no chance. Replays showed Ingram still had his fingertips on the ball as the clock expired. As a result, the three-point shot was overturned, and the Raptors lost to the Nuggets.

Brandon Ingram knocked down the game-tying shot at the buzzer, but it was overturned because the ball was still in his reach 😳 pic.twitter.com/FSRz4450Hk

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 1, 2026

Murray was the only Nuggets starter from the opening night to play in the Raptors game. Jokic, Christian Brown, Aaron Gordon and Cam Johnson are all out with injuries. Despite this, the Nuggets prevailed thanks to spirited efforts from Watson and Murray, as well as solid play off the bench by Darron Holmes.

Meanwhile, the Raptors bench was completely thin against the Nuggets. They had excellent production from the starters: Ingram had 30 points, Immanuel Quickley had 22, and Barnes had 20 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists. However, Toronto’s bench had a combined ten points during the game, showing no signs of life.