Riders can clinch home playoff spot in clash with Lions
8h ago
A Green and White win will mean a home playoff for the first time since 2021.
TAMPA, Fla. — Toronto Raptors guard Norman Powell is listed as available for Wednesday night’s season opener against the visiting New Orleans Pelicans.
Powell was listed as questionable earlier in the day.
Raptors coach Nick Nurse said Wednesday morning that the team was waiting until closer to game time to determine Powell’s status.
Powell had the best season of his career last year, averaging 16 points on 49.5 per-cent shooting from the field.
Nurse said he’s used to roster uncertainty from his time coaching in leagues at lower levels.
There could be similar situations this year because of COVID-19 protocols.
“I think we had a rule back in the minors that an hour before tip, you had to put your official lineup out there, who was playing tonight, and it usually went till that hour until you knew who you had exactly,” he said. “So it gives you a full 60 minutes to digest and game plan and figure out your rotations and all that stuff. So I’ve had some good training for that.”
The Raptors are playing home games at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla., for at least the first half of the season because of COVID-19 border restrictions.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 23, 2020.
The Canadian Press