Raptors to play home games in Tampa for rest of season

The Toronto Raptors will continue to play their home games at Amalie Arena in Tampa for the rest of the 2020-21 season, the team announced Thursday.

"Florida has been really welcoming to us and we're so grateful for the hospitality we've found in Tampa and at Amalie - we're living in a city of champions, and we intend to carry on the tradition of winning for our new friends and fans here," Raptors president Masai Ujiri said in a statement.

"But home is where the heart is, and our hearts are in Toronto. We think often of our fans, of our Scotiabank Arena family, and all those we are missing back home, and we can’t wait until we can all be together again."

The Raptors initially announced plans to play the first half of the regular season in Tampa, but they won't relocate to Canada in light of ongoing border restrictions and public health measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Toronto has been one of the league's strongest home teams in recent seasons. That dominance hasn't translated to its Tampa home court, however, where the Raptors have a 6-5 record through 11 games so far.