Home is where the banner is.
The Raptors got to play in their new, temporary digs in Tampa’s Amalie Arena for the first time Friday night, and there were some familiar trappings to the facility. Chief among them was a replica of the 2019 NBA championship banner that hung from the rafters.
“It certainly gives you a boost, just a little bit of juice or energy or whatever,” coach Nick Nurse said. “(The banner) was about the second thing I noticed when I walked in. I was like, ‘Hey, the banner.’ It’s kinda cool.”
The new home wasn’t too kind to the Raptors on the scoreboard, however, as the Miami Heat used a 15-0 run to start the fourth quarter and pull away for a 117-105 victory.