The Toronto Raptors‘ 2018-19 schedule was released Friday afternoon as the team nears its 24th NBA season.

Despite a disappointing playoff exit each of the past two seasons, the DeMar DeRozan trade with the San Antonio Spurs that netted former Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard — now considered the East’s best player — earlier this summer has made this coming season one of the most anticipated in franchise history. On paper, it looks like this could be the Raptors’ best chance of reaching an NBA Finals yet (the list of candidates is short, I know).

The Raps will tip off the season at home for the ninth time in the past 10 seasons, hosting a LeBron James-less Cleveland Cavaliers team on Oct. 17th.

All told, the Raptors will have to play 12 back-to-back games, and on three different occasions the club will have a season-high four-game road swing. The team will play nine road games in November and December, but Raptors fans will want to be in Toronto in January, when the club hosts the most home games of any month (eight).

For a closer look at the schedule, here are some of the can’t-miss games and stretches of the Raptors’ upcoming ’18-19 campaign:

Oct. 19: vs. Celtics

The Raptors’ first marquee contest comes early — the second game of the season — with this highly-anticipated matchup against Boston. The Raps’ biggest competition in the East, the Celtics’ revamped roster will add a healthy Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward to a lineup that reached the conference finals and pushed the Cavs to seven games with both stars sidelined.

This game will serve not only as a litmus test, but a chance to establish a season-long rivalry that, with any luck for Raptors fans, could spill over to the post-season.

The Sportsnet Hot Stove Who's your pick: Raptors or Celtics? August 11 2018 Your browser does not support the audio element.



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Oct. 20: @ Washington

The Raptors’ de facto rivals will host Toronto on the second night of their first of 12 back-to-backs. Washington made some noise adding Dwight Howard, Jeff Green, and Austin Rivers this off-season, but Toronto will look to establish that it remains a class above in the East’s hierarchy.

Oct. 26: vs. Mavericks

The Mavs aren’t expected to be very good this season, but the addition of DeAndre Jordan and Euro teen sensation Luka Doncic should make them a fun team to watch. Doncic is the league’s most highly-anticipated rookie, and his pairing with second-year guard Dennis Smith Jr. will lead to more than a few highlight-reel plays each night.

This could also be Canadian fans’ last chance to see future first-ballot Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki, the NBA’s sixth all-time leading scorer, in person.

Oct. 29 @ Bucks

Oct. 30 vs. 76ers

Perhaps not a crucial back-to-back given it comes early in the season, but along with Toronto, both Milwaukee and Philadelphia are likely to be in contention for a top-four seed. With their stable of young stars — namely Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, and Ben Simmons — these games should be required viewing.

Nov. 4 @ Lakers Sunday night games in L.A. have held a special place in Raptors history, albeit for the wrong reasons. It was on a Sunday night 12 years ago that Kobe Bryant torched the Raps for 81 points.

It’s safe to say we won’t see that on Nov. 4th, but we will get Toronto’s first crack at LeBron James with his new club as the Raptors take on his Lakers at Staples Centre for the first time.

Nov. 14: vs. Pistons

Dwane Casey, the Raptors franchise leader in wins and most successful coach in team history, returns to Toronto after his unceremonial firing following last season’s playoff exit.

Nov. 17 @ Bulls

Nov. 20 @ Magic

Nov. 21 @ Hawks

This three-game road stretch may not feature the greatest quality of ball, but it could offer a chance for the Raptors to gain some separation in the East and establish the conference’s hierarchy with a trio of consecutive games against teams that should be fighting for lottery positioning. It will also be a chance for Raptors fans to see some of the East’s rookie prospects in lottery picks Wendell Carter Jr., Mo Bamba, and Trae Young. Oh, and the Atlanta visit will come against Vince Carter, who joined his seventh team since being traded by the Raptors when he signed with the Hawks this summer.

Nov. 29 vs. Warriors

The Raptors have played the Warriors close during their dynasty run, and this game offers the new-look Raps a chance to see how they stack up against the NBA’s best. We might even see another Drake vs. Kevin Durant feud (not that anyone is asking for it).

Dec. 5 vs. 76ers

“The fifth annual Giant of Africa game, celebrating the life of Nelson Mandela,” goes down on this night, bringing a cavalcade of stars to the Scotiabank Arena. It’s also an important matchup versus the 76ers, who will be fighting Toronto for a top seed in the East.

Also, don’t sleep on the potential for some bad blood to carry over from last season:

Kyle Lowry and Ben Simmons allegedly had an altercation in the hallway following their ejections pic.twitter.com/gWEczbMa3J — NBA Inside Stuff (@NBAInside_Stuff) January 16, 2018

Dec. 11 @ Clippers

Dec. 12 @ Warriors

This brief but fun West Coast swing will feature Raptors’ fans first shot at seeing promising Canadian rookie point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and former Raptor fan favourite Lou Williams with the Clippers, followed up by one last shot at beating Golden State in the 2018-19 regular season.

Jan. 3 @ Spurs

Feb. 22 vs. Spurs

The Jakob Poeltl revenge game, followed by the return of Jakob Poeltl!

There’s nothing bigger to watch for in these showdowns, right?

Feb. 26 vs. Celtics

The last matchup with Boston this season comes shortly after the all-star break, and could hold important tiebreak (and bragging rights) implications.

March 5 vs. Rockets

Toronto swept Houston last season, which brought a ton of optimism about the team’s prospects. If this rematch of last season’s No. 1 seeds at home is anything like the Rockets’ visit last season then we’re in for a treat.

March 14 vs. Lakers

LeBron makes his lone appearance back in Toronto.