So that’s what an NBA Finals looks like without LeBron James.
The Raptors made quick work of my prediction that Golden State would sweep the NBA Finals. Toronto beat Golden State 118-109 Thursday night in Game 1. The Raptors controlled from the start – Golden State led for 3:39 total in the game, and never for more than 68 seconds -- and the Warriors never made it a two-possession game in the final 9:55.
So it wasn’t classic drama. But it was a new plot.
The last time we had a LeBronless Finals, Tony Allen played in it, as a Celtic supersub.