The Toronto Raptors are preparing for a critical Game 5 on Tuesday night against the Pacers in their opening round series. They need to win to keep homecourt advantage and avoid having to win in Indianapolis to keep their season alive. Toronto knows they need all the support they can get from their hometown fans, and while the Raptors’ fanbase is among the most passionate in the NBA, they have a bit of an issue on Tuesday.
Their game is starting early, at 6 p.m. ET. If you figure most people work until around five o’clock and then have to make their way over to the Air Canada Centre, park, and find their seats, that’s cutting it pretty close to tip-off time.
Thankfully, Toronto has a solution. The Raptors have written an official permission slip, signed by general manager Masai Ujiri. The letter asks bosses all around Hogtown to let their employees out a little early so they can get to the game on time.
The last thing the Raptors need is for Indiana to get off to a hot start because the arena is only half filled. Hopefully, this works. Only the stingiest of supervisors would dare reject such an official document from the hometown team.