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Raptors Announce 2019-20 Schedule

The Toronto Raptors will tip off their 25th season in the National Basketball Association at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday, Oct. 22 vs. the New Orleans Pelicans, the team announced Monday. The Raptors will celebrate their 2019 NBA Championship on opening night with a ring ceremony and banner raising prior to the game.

This marks the 10th time in the past 11 seasons - and the 19th time in team history – the Raptors have started the regular season at home. Toronto’s road debut is set for Friday, Oct. 25 against the Boston Celtics.

For the first time in franchise history, the Raptors will play at home Christmas Day, hosting the Celtics. Other noteworthy home games include the sixth annual Giants of Africa Game, celebrating the life of Nelson Mandela, on Dec. 5 vs. the Houston Rockets, and the return of former Raptor Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers on Dec. 11. Giannis Antetokounmpo, the 2018-19 NBA Most Valuable Player, and the Milwaukee Bucks will make two trips north of the border - Feb. 25 and Apr. 3, while the lone visit from Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors happens Mar. 16. The Los Angeles Lakers make a late-season appearance at Scotiabank Arena on Mar. 24.

The longest homestand of the season is four games from Feb. 21-28. The longest road swing is five games which occurs twice: Nov. 8-16 and Mar. 1-9.

The Raptors’ busiest month is December with 16 games, followed by January with 15 contests. The busiest home month is December with 11 games, while the busiest road month is January with the Raptors facing 10 games away from Toronto.

The busiest day of the week for the Raptors this season will be Wednesday with 18 games, followed by Sunday with 14 games. Sunday and Wednesday are also the busiest days at home with eight contests apiece, while Wednesday features a high of 10 road games.

The Raptors will have 13 back-to-back games this season (one more than last season). Seven of those back-to-backs are road games followed by another road game. The 2019-20 schedule features 11 U.S. national television appearances. Toronto has six games on ESPN and five contests on TNT. The Raptors’ 2019-20 local television schedule will be released at a later date.

This season marks Toronto’s 16th in the Atlantic Division, joining Boston, Brooklyn, New York and Philadelphia. The Raptors were a member of the Central Division from 1995-2004.

The schedule features four games against divisional foes with two home and two away. The remaining 10 conference teams will be played twice at home and on the road except for four teams – two will be played once at home and twice on the road (Chicago and Miami) and two will be faced twice at home and once on the road (Cleveland and Washington). Each Western Conference team will be played once at home and on the road.For the 2019-20 season, home games on weekdays will start at 12 p.m., 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 8p.m. Weekend home games will tip at 3 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 6 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. Information on how to purchase single game tickets will be released at a later date.

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