The Toronto Raptors basketball players will again play in Canada in preseason games. Their rivals will be runners-up from previous Boston Celtics and Utah Jazz, the NBA announced.
The three-year hiatus in games played in Canada was caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the closure of the Canada-US border.
The matches will take place in Edmonton on October 2 with the Jazz and in Montreal on October 14 with the “Celts”, the champions of the Eastern Conference. This year’s pre-season games will take place on the 10th anniversary of the first such meeting in Canada.
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So far, 14 NBA teams have played such games in the land of the maple leaf. 14 matches were played in five provinces.
“It’s really good news that we will be playing in front of fans in Canada again. It will be a great start to the new season and a reminder to Canadian fans that they have a team in the NBA,” the general manager said. of the Raptors, Bobby Webster.
In 2019, the Raptors won the NBA Championship, as Canada’s only team in those games’ history. Due to the pandemic and regulations regarding crossing the border between the United States and Canada in the 2021/22 season, Toronto basketball players were unable to perform in front of their public and played their matches at home in Tampa, Florida.
AA, PAP
