On Wednesday, Oct. 10, – exactly one week before each team opens the regular season – the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors will meet in the preseason.
As part of the 2018 NBA Canada Series, Wednesday's game will be played at Montreal's Bell Centre and is slated for a 7:00 p.m. ET tip; it will air on TSN2. The Bell Centre last hosted an NBA preseason game in 2015, when the Raptors defeated the Wizards.
MORE: What is the NBA Canada Series? | History of the NBA Canada Series
Here's all you need to know ahead of Wednesday night's game…
What to watch for: Toronto Raptors
After missing the first three preseason games for personal reasons, second-year forward OG Anunoby has rejoined the team and is set to make his preseason debut against the Nets. When asked about the rotation for tonight's game, head coach Nick Nurse maintained that he will be flexible based on feedback from his veterans:
"if you're a veteran guy that says 'hey, I want a few more minutes to go get my conditioning up,' we can do that and work that in. And if you're a veteran guy that says 'hey, I just wanna get a few in 'cause I'm feeling a little tired,' we can do that, too."
With the Raptors travelling to New Orleans to take on the Pelicans Thursday, Wednesday could be the final game in which Nurse elects to play the team's veterans, meaning it could be the final preseason look at Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry and Jonas Valanciunas.
Wednesday is also a big night for Chris Boucher, a native of Montreal who is entrenched in a three-way battle with Eric Moreland and Deng Adel for one of the team's final roster spots. Boucher made a name for himself through his play with the Raptors in the 2018 Vegas Summer League and gets to continue his mission to prove he belongs in the league in front of family and friends.
What to watch for: Brooklyn Nets
The Nets are coming off a 110-108 overtime victory over the Pistons in which point guard D'Angelo Russell finished with 25 points while shooting 5-for-13 from 3-point range. Priot to Monday's win, Brooklyn had played in just one other preseason game – a five-point loss to the New York Knicks.
Russell (18.0 ppg) and Caris LeVert (16.0 ppg) have led the team's scoring efforts through two exhibition games, while second-year centre Jarrett Allen has posted averages of 10.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game.
Guard Allen Crabbe, who suffered a sprained ankle two minutes into the Nets' win over the Pistons, has been ruled out for Wednesday's game. Sharpshooter Joe Harris should see more time playing with the Nets starting unit in Crabbe's absence.
The Nets' starting lineup also features former Raptors forward DeMarre Carroll. The last time an NBA game was played in Montreal as a part of the Canada Series, Carroll led Toronto to a win with a game-high 16 points. The 10-year veteran could pick up where he left off the last time he played at the Bell Centre.
Brooklyn's preseason schedule concludes when it faces the New York Knicks for a second time on Friday, Oct. 12.