The Toronto Raptors aren’t going back to Toronto this season.
Ongoing challenges related to the coronavirus pandemic and how that affects the process of crossing the border between the U.S. and Canada will keep the Raptors in their adopted Tampa, Florida, home for the remainder of the regular season, the team said Thursday.
The Raptors are 6-5 in their “home” building this season, Amalie Arena, which they’re sharing with the Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning. Tampa also has the reigning Super Bowl champion Buccaneers, and the Tampa Bay Rays played in the World Series last season.
“Florida has been really welcoming to us and we’re so grateful for the hospitality we’ve found in Tampa and at Amalie – we’re living in a city of champions, and we intend to carry on the tradition of winning for our new friends and fans here,” Raptors President Masai Ujiri said. “But home is where the heart is, and our hearts are in Toronto. We think often of our fans, of our Scotiabank Arena family, and all those we are missing back home, and we can’t wait until we can all be together again.”
HAWKS: Atlanta guard Trae Young was fined $20,000 by the NBA for directing inappropriate language toward a game official.
The incident occurred Wednesday night after Young was knocked down setting a screen on the final play in the Hawks’ 118-117 loss at Dallas.
THURSDAY’S GAMES
HEAT 101, ROCKETS 94: Jimmy Butler had a triple-double with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists and visiting Miami overcame a slow start to beat slumping Houston.
Miami won its fourth straight and handed Houston its fourth loss in a row.
Butler had his first triple-double of the season and 10th overall. The Heat came close to having two players with triple-doubles, with Bam Adebayo finishing with 10 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists before fouling out with about a minute left.
PACERS 111, PISTONS 95: Domantas Sabonis had 26 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, and visiting Indiana snapped a four-game losing streak.
Malcolm Brogdon added 18 points and Jeremy Lamb scored 17 for the Pacers.
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