The Toronto Raptors have released some dates for fans to circle on their calendars if they’re on the lookout for high-stakes early-season basketball.
The schedule for the third edition of the Emirates NBA Cup, the league’s in-season tournament, was revealed on Wednesday.
This iteration of the tourney has the Raptors joining the Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards in Group A of the Eastern Conference.
It’s a tough slate for Toronto, which will begin its NBA Cup campaign on the road against the East’s No. 1 seed, the Cavaliers, on Oct. 31.
The Raptors will then visit the Hawks on Nov. 7, followed by a home game against the Wizards on Nov. 21. They’ll close out the group stage with a home game against the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers on Nov. 26.
Eight teams — six group winners and two wild-card teams — will advance to the knockout stage, with the quarterfinals scheduled for Dec. 9 and 10, the semifinals set for Dec. 13 and the championship game on Dec. 16. The last two rounds will be played in Las Vegas.
Since the tournament’s inception in 2023, the Raptors are 2-6 and have never advanced beyond group play.