The 5 Raptors games we are most looking forward to this upcoming season
Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas…in August! Instead of a traditional rum and eggnog to toast this festive occasion, we will have to settle for a Steveweiser on the go here. Apparently, they don’t sell eggnog during the hot, muggy, and humid summer.
But here we are. It’s August. Basketball is just over two months away. I can already hear the squeaking of sneakers on the court, I can already see Kyle Lowry impatiently demanding the ball from the ref so he can in-bound it post-haste, and I can see, if I raise my head high, a championship banner hanging in the rafters. Raptors basketball is almost here!
Monday was schedule release day which means that NBA will once again be in our lives sooner rather than later. We have a throne to defend people! And what better way to prepare for the upcoming season than to provide you, our loyal readers, with the 5 games that we are most looking forward to (in chronological order).
Besides you and I, another person was anxiously awaiting the release of the schedule: my wife! My wife at the very least knew, what every respectable Torontoian knew, that the Raptors were hosting a Christmas Day game. That was one thing we knew for sure. But we didn’t know the timing of said game.
On Sunday, the day before the schedule release, I was chatting with my wife about the schedule and she asked me “Do you know what time the Christmas Day game is at?” I responded that I didn’t know and that we would find out the full schedule on Monday. I told her odds are the Xmas game will be at 12pm or 2:30pm based on past precedent. My wife then looked at me and said “You have my permission to go on Christmas Day”.
My first reaction was: I didn’t know I needed permission. My next reaction was: No way I’m going to challenge that as well. I simply said “thank you” and carried about my business. No way I was going to risk anything there.
Anyways, let’s get to the 5 games that yours truly has deemed as the 5 most important games for the upcoming season. How did I determine the 5 most important games you ask? Well, I traditionally attend anywhere from 25–30 Raptors games per season (including playoffs). The vast majority of those games I purchase on the secondary market the day of or the day before. However, when tickets go on sale to the general public, I like to pick 5 juicy match-ups that I cannot miss. I like to choose 5 games that I deem as the most important — that I need to thus have the tickets in hand.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the Life In Repeat Five Must-See Raptors Games of the Year.
Tuesday October 22 vs. New Orleans Pelicans
The NBA is handing out lots of respect to the Raptors. We got the Christmas Day game and we got the opening slot on opening day to hang the banner to the rafters and to give out the championship rings.
There is no way I am going to miss this game. That banner will fly forever and I want to be in the building when it gets raised; that way, when I look up at the banner at every future game that I attend, I will know that I was there when it was raised in 2019.
It’s also worth noting that we have 11 nationally televised games — which is good. Even though it’s 4 less than last season, it’s still the fourth most in franchise history. It’s also less than a traditional champ would get, but we aren’t a traditional champ (in terms of the player who led us to the title not being here to defend the title). But it’s still progress people.
Also, fuck it, we got a title and our Christmas Day game. We good!
Wednesday December 11 vs. Los Angeles Clippers
This one too is obvious as it’s Kawhi’s return. He’s going to get his championship ring and he’ll get a nice tribute video. Hopefully he plays (cough cough load management). He’s going to feel that intense love again from the Toronto faithful (the Clippers fanbase can’t event match 10% of the love he got from Toronto last season). It’ll serve as a good reminder to Kawhi of what he left behind.
I’ll also be very curious to see where the Clippers are in the standings come this December tilt versus where the Raptors will be in the standings. Who knows, maybe Kawhi might have some regrets. Just sayin.
Wednesday December 25 vs. Boston Celtics
Even without Kawhi we got the Christmas Day game. I guess you can’t ignore a championship. Sure, this is our second game on Christmas in franchise history and our first since 2001 (when they only had two games on the docket). Sure, there has been an 18-year gap even though we have been deserving over the past half-decade. But even though this is our second ever Christmas Day game, this is the first one that we are hosting. This game is going to be in Toronto. How effin amazing is that!
Don’t get me wrong, there was debate with Kawhi’s exit whether the Raptors were worthy of a game on the NBA’s marquee day. Over the past half-decade, I have been pretty confident the Raptors would secure a marquee spot on December 25th (spoiler alert: I was wrong). But this year I was on the fence but cautiously optimistic. I took assurance that there was no way the NBA could ignore the defending champs.
Lo and behold, finally the NBA has given us what we wanted! And lo and behold, I will be there on this historic afternoon.
It’s kind of odd though that we couldn’t land a Christmas game during the DeRozan era and we couldn’t land one with Kawhi. But what an amazing way to usher in the Pascal Siakam era of Raptors basketball.
Permit me a siderant on the Christmas Day game if you will. Amongst the joy of fans celebrating the Raptors getting to host their first ever Xmas game, there was a select few who poo-pooed the fact the Raptors finally got rewarded with a holiday game. Can I not enjoy this moment without someone saying “who cares about a Christmas Day game man, we won the title”.
Well, you know what, I care! It’s a pretty big fucking deal to be playing at home on the NBA’s signature day. We finally got what we wanted after having earned it. Also, look, human beings are complex animals. We are capable of more than one want. If we just wanted one thing, we would be pretty miserable. I want more than one thing per year! I just want the spoils of winning the title and the Christmas Day game is part of those spoils.
Tuesday December 31 vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
One of the games I always look forward to is the New Years Day game. However, we don’t get it this season probably because we have the Christmas Day game. But this night (more so than the opponent) makes the list for me irregardless. Look, I know what you’re thinking: Cleveland? Really? The sad-sack Cavs are really one of your five must see match-ups?
Do I need to remind you of the fireworks that have occurred at the Scotiabank Arena the past two New Years Day games? Two years ago, DeRozan dropped 52 on the Bucks (a career high). Last season, Kawhi went off for 45 points including 30 in the second half. He also had 19 in the third quarter on a perfect 7-for-7 shooting.
Essentially, I’m hoping that the fireworks from past New Years Day games translates to the New Years Eve game.
Monday March 16 vs. Golden State Warriors
This one writes itself. It’s the Finals rematch. Golden State comes back to Toronto in March and you know we got to be there for that. It’s the team we beat to win that banner you see hanging high in the rafters.
Until next time…
Show your support and follow us on Twitter: @lifeinrepeat
