It’s hard to believe we’ve finally made it through the summer and tonight, the first preseason game of 2026-2027 season tips off for the Toronto Raptors. As is customary, it is one of two NBA Canada Series games, tonight being hosted by Quebec City. This has been a great tradition since 2012, allowing more of the country to be able to watch Canada’s team in person. Previous hosts have included Ottawa, Calgary, Montreal, Edmonton, and Winnipeg, but this will be the first held in Centre Vidéotron.
The new-look Miami Heat has travelled to face them, with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Klay Thompson, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bobby Portis Jr. having joined over the summer.
While preseason games are often about getting organized and making those final roster decisions, we can hope to get a bit of a look at Kawhi, Scottie, Giannis and Bam, a harbinger of what could be an excellent matchup throughout the season.
Miami’s size will undoubtedly be a factor. Their frontcourt includes a near-seven-foot Nick Richards and Giannis, 6’10” Nikola Jovic, and Bam Adebayo and Bobby Portis Jr. who are both 6′ 9” and over 250 pounds. This will be advantageous on both ends of the court, as defensively their size and physicality will be an asset rebounding, but they can also play bully-ball at the other end of the court. The other major change to their roster, adding a pair of excellent veteran shooters in Hardaway Jr. and Thompson mean that if anyone gets jammed up in the paint, there will be one or both of them set from outside the arc and ready to shoot.
Toronto won’t have the size advantage, but can rely on the defensive prowess of Scottie Barnes, Kawhi Leonard, and Collin Murray-Boyles. While undersized, their wingspans and athleticism allow all of them to guard guys bigger than them. Kawhi has already proven he can make life difficult for Giannis, and CMB seems to love to play as an undersized center. The wing defence will need to be on a string tonight to shut down the options outside of the paint. Ja’Kobe Walter, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley will all have to be on top of closeouts and shut down shooting opportunities.
More likely than not, this game will come down to the bench though. Both teams will be interested in seeing what the last few guys on the roster can do. Newly-extended Jamal Shead, rookie Allen Graves, and guys like Tyreke Key, Chucky Hepburn, and Alijah Martin could all see solid minutes. They will have to be the difference makers if they want to win the game.
Luckily for Toronto, they’ve all proven to be solid defenders, with the right mindset to want to go out and win games. Especially in a situation like this where they’re auditioning for minutes during the regular season.
Either way, it’s incredibly exciting to see the Raptors back out on the court, especially in Quebec City!
Injury Report
While it’s a little unclear during the preseason, some of Toronto’s players did sit out of the open scrimmage due to various ailments, but it’s unclear if they’ll be suiting up tonight. This could affect Jamison Battle, Kyle Anderson, and Allen Graves.
For Miami, the only two clear missing players will be Keshad Johnson and Dru Smith, sidelined by a right hamstring strain and a calf strain, respectively.
Probable Starters
Toronto: Kawhi Leonard, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley
Miami: Davion Mitchell, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo
Where to Watch
Tune in at 7:00pm ET on TSN.
