The Toronto Raptors will open season 31 with a bit of a rarity — a road game.

For only the seventh time — and first since 2011 — Toronto will begin a season in the United States, this time in Atlanta on Oct. 22 against the vastly improved Hawks. The home opener goes Oct. 24 against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Damian Lillard-less Milwaukee Bucks.

This is a big season for the Raptors and third-year head coach Darko Rajakovic. The team has missed the playoffs for three straight seasons.

Masai Ujiri is gone, Larry Tanenbaum can be bought out after the year by Rogers, Brandon Ingram and Collin Murray-Boyles have arrived, the Eastern Conference is severely weakened due to injuries to Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton, and the fan base, facing ever-increasing ticket price

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