According to several tipsters who pinged me from inside Oracle Arena, at tipoff time of Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals, the typically-frenzied playoff atmosphere in Oakland was missing in action. Between large patches of empty seats (according to Darren Rovell, the Warriors are calling the game a sellout but suffered a larger-than-usual amount of credit card fraud, late-released league holds, and ADA holds) and a crowd that might not have been thrilled with yet another Cavs-Warriors matchup, the Roaracle effect was noticeably absent on TV and on the radio. Correspondingly, the Warriors, a championship-quality team with focus issues and a tendency to play down to the quality of their opponent, came out a bit flat, while the Cavaliers, written off as overwhelming underdogs going into the series, came out with a sense of urgency and purpose, led by confirmed Terminator LeBron James.
Leaving the Door Open, Then Shutting It (Warriors 124, Cavaliers 114)
