Raptors schedule release: Important dates, crucial contests, takeaways

The Toronto Raptors schedule for the second half of this unusual 2020-21 season has officially been revealed. After a 2-8 start, the Raptors have managed to climb back to .500, taking down some of the best teams in the league in order to do so.

Nick Nurse and Toronto looked destined for a No. 1 pick, as their brutal schedule and poor start on offense looked out of sorts, but a few subtle tweaks have the Raptors completely rolling at the moment.

The Raptors’ success can’t be assigned to just taking down a couple of cupcakes in quick succession, as the incredibly competitive Atlantic Division means that the Raptors have had to tussle with some truly elite competition. After the All-Star break, Toronto will have to do more of the same.

The second-half schedule is officially out, and some of the trends in that schedule prove that the Raptors will need to keep their head down and fight through some of the best teams in the NBA.

Toronto Raptors schedule key dates and takeaways

The Raptors will begin the second half with another matchup against Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks on March 11. They will follow that up with a three-game road trip that sees them take on the Hornets, Bulls, and Pistons.

The Raptors will have four nationally televised games. They will take on the New York Knicks on the road at 7:30 p.m. ET on April 11, a game that will be televised on NBA TV. The Raptors will play at New York again on the 24th on ESPN. Toronto will take on the Los Angeles Lakers at 10:00 p.m. ET on May 2 on NBATV, and they will face the Los Angeles Clippers on TNT on May 4.

The Raptors will play the Brooklyn Nets twice in a six-day span on April 21 and April 27. One deflating part of this schedule is the fact that Toronto will play eight different sets of back-to-back games.

Late April/Early May is the most trying time for the Raptors, as they will embark on a four-game West Coast trip after taking on Brooklyn on April 21. That four-game trip will start in Denver and force the Raptors to play the current top three seeds in the West in the Jazz, Clippers, and Lakers. Everyone will find out what Toronto is truly made of.

The Raptors might not have any more matchups with division rivals like Boston and Philadelphia left on the schedule, but they will still face an uphill climb if they want to both make the playoffs and host a home playoff game. Nurse needs to kick things into overdrive to make the Raptors a lock for the postseason.