This just in, and it's a surprise schedule indeed

Well, no one saw this one coming.

The schedule for the Raptor-Orlando series has just been released -- sometimes it pays to stay up late -- and things begin Sunday at 12:30 in Orlando. TNT, which on every proposed schedule we'd seen was starting a triple header at 5:30 p.m., has apparently decided an earlier start is the better.

As we expected, Game 2 goes Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in Orlando and Game 3 is back in Toronto next Thursday, the 22nd, also at 7:30 p.m..

Then it gets a bit strange. The Raptors have bumped the Rock out of the Air Canada Centre on Saturday, April 26 and will play Game 4 at 3 p.m. and the game will be on TNT in the States.

Game 5, if necessary, is Monday, April 28 in Orlando and then there's an extra day off before a Game 6, which will be back in Toronto on Thursday, May 1 if it's needed and the time is still to be determined.

A seventh game would be Saturday, May 3 in Orlando and that time is still be decided as well.

Overall, not a bad schedule. It'll be interesting to see how the Orlando fans deal with an early start to Game 1 and Toronto gets a night game to open its end of the series.

The extra day off between Game 5 and 6 will also be welcome after playing every other day.

The Canadian broadcasters are still to be announced.

Comments

[K]

One interesting/annoying note: 2 of the 3 home games conflict directly with Toronto FC home games. This will likely be met with a resounding "who cares" from 98% of people, but those of us insane enough to have bought TFC season tickets and Raps playoff tickets are rather screwed. MLSE can't be happy either - I presume the short answer is that they have less than zero pull with the NBA in such matters?

[oliveira]

When are the Canadian broadcasters going to be announced? I can't TNT, so am I out of luck?

Blogger's note: You'll be fine, every game will be on a Canadian broadcaster. TSN is doing Game 1, the rest are TBA

[LY]

Doug,

Perhaps you'd enjoy this read? I admit the following is an angle to our "debate" that resonates well with me.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=jackson/080417

[bballer]

That was a great article. since there are no internal debates i guess it doesn't interest anyone up here or in the states. scoop usually gets 300 anti-scoop emails so a positive article like this elicits no response. wow, i guess readers don't like balanced reporting.