For the fourth season in a row, the Toronto Raptors are in the playoffs. For the first time in that stretch, they will not play the early game on the opening day of the postseason. The respect, it comes in enormous, swathing waves, hugging the franchise like only so many Atlantic Division banners could in the past. There’s actually not even a 12:30 Saturday slot as usual – the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers will start us off at 3 p.m. Saturday on ABC.
The Eastern Conference’s 3-6 matchup will see the Raptors host the Milwaukee Bucks at the Air Canada Centre on Saturday at 5:30. The full schedule for the series is as follows, and Canadian broadcast information should be available in the coming days:
Game 1: Milwaukee @ Toronto, Saturday, April 15, 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Game 2: Milwaukee @ Toronto, Tuesday, April 18, 7 p.m. ET, NBA TV
Game 3: Toronto @ Milwaukee, Thursday, April 20, 8 p.m. ET, NBA TV
Game 4: Toronto @ Milwaukee, Saturday, April 22, 3 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 5*: Milwaukee @ Toronto, Monday, April 24, 7 p.m. ET, NBA TV
Game 6*: Toronto @ Milwaukee, Thursday, April 27, TBD, TBD
Game 7*: Milwaukee @ Toronto, Saturday, April 29, TBD, TNT
* – if necessary
I’m seeing some people complain about the Game 1 start time on Twitter, and I really don’t get it. Three years in a row, the Raptors have been given the earliest possible slot, and the fanbase cried disrespect. It made sense, even if I think some of the reasoning for the early start times was actually a nod of appreciation and trust to the Air Canada Centre and Jurassic Park for being the liveliest crowd regardless of time of day (the team disagrees with my assessment). Now, the Raptors are getting the second-latest start time of any East series (Boston-Chicago starts at 6:30 on Sunday), they’re getting the opening day nod, and they’re playing in a better spot than even the Cavaliers (at least, based on how people have reacted to the schedule in the past) and Hawks-Wizards (1 p.m. Sunday). Yes, the league ditched the 12:30 Saturday start time altogether, but the Raptors still got a better shake than they could have.
There’s overlap with Game 2 of the Toronto Maple Leags and Washington Capitals (Jurassic Park will belong to the Raptors that night, by the way), but there’s only so much that can be done when three pro teams share an arena, and surely fans would have complained about an overlap with the Toronto Blue Jays were the game earlier or Toronto FC if it were later. Really, we should all be thankful there’s so much going on right now to split our attention, and recognize that a nice, perfect schedule isn’t a realistic ask of the respective leagues.
Maybe I’m just being too positive. I was, after all, one of the only people who liked the 12:30 starts anyway (and thought in year four it should actually be an advantage). And who am I to tell you what to be mad about? But I think this is a nice development, a nice recognition of the Raptors having had to play at an odd-ball time three years in a row, and as good a time as any to start a fourth consecutive playoffs. Giddy up.
The Raptors, by the way, drew into Cleveland’s side of the bracket, so it will be the Cavaliers waiting in round two if the Raptors make it past the Bucks.
—
Raptors 905 also received their schedule for the Eastern Conference Finals opposite the Maine Red Claws (who beat Fort Wayne on Wednesday to win the series 2-1), which is as follows:
Game 1: Raptors 905 @ Maine, Sunday, April 16, 5 p.m., ESPN/Facebook Live
Game 2: Maine @ Raptors 905, Wednesday, April 19, 7 p.m., ESPN/Facebook Live
Game 3*: Maine @ Raptors 905, Thursday, April 20, 7 p.m., Facebook Live
* – if necessary
We’ll have a full preview of the 905-Maine series tomorrow, and our preview content for Raptors-Bucks will roll out over the next couple of days.
