Thoughts on Game 1 of the NBA Finals from the Big Chair at the Designated Writers Home Office (we saved a ton on travel expenses):

** As a I watched the game, I never thought the Golden State Warriors were going to lose. Until they did. The Warriors probably didn’t plan on someone named Pascal Siakam was going to go off for 32 points. Make no mistake — this was a game Toronto had to win. The Raptors were at home with an entire country whipped up into a frenzy and the Warriors were without their best player and hadn’t played a game in nine days.

** Thank you, ABC, for not showing (The) Drake every other time down the court. Finally, some restraint by a network. I understand he’s got tens of millions of Twitter followers and is a Global Ambassador for Toronto, but he is still just a fan in the front row when you get right down to it. There’s about three degrees of separation between him and Dyan Cannon from back in the Lakers heyday. By the way, I’d like to be a Global Ambassador when I grow up.

** I just like saying “Nick Nurse.” When Toronto hired him, I didn’t know if that was a hospital title or a name.

** TNT is so much better than ABC/ESPN with the pre-game and halftime coverage that it’s not even funny. TNT is so entertaining while the other is almost unwatchable.

** If the Raptors are going to do the “We The North” slogan, shouldn’t Golden State have the “We The West” T-shirts ready to go when the series shifts to the Bay Area for Game 3? Do they not believe in verbs in Canada?