(Reuters) – The Toronto Raptors will host the Boston Celtics and Utah Jazz for preseason games in Edmonton and Montreal, the NBA said on Wednesday as its Canada Series returns for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The two games are part of a series aimed at growing the game in Canada and will tip off with Toronto, whose roster features reigning NBA rookie of the year Scottie Barnes, facing Utah on Oct. 2 in Edmonton.
The reigning Eastern Conference champion Celtics, who are led by three-time NBA All-Star Jayson Tatum, will then face the Raptors on Oct. 14 in Montreal.
“It’s so good to once again be able to play in front of our fans across Canada,” Raptors General Manager Bobby Webster said in a news release.
“It’s a fantastic reminder, as we begin a new season, that we are Canada’s team, and we look forward to making Raptors fans proud, no matter where they are cheering from.”
The games will mark the 10-year anniversary of the first NBA Canada Series. In total, 14 NBA teams have played 14 preseason games across five provinces as part of the NBA Canada Series.
Toronto are Canada’s only NBA team and set off a country-wide celebration in 2019 when they beat the Golden State Warriors for their first championship.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Toby Davis)
