As the ball went up at the start of Game 5, four Raptors fans, all decked out in jerseys, one with a We The North flag, were too excited to sit down. They stayed on their feet through most of the first quarter, talking trash while the Cavaliers’ lead quickly grew from four to 10 and suddenly 18.
The second quarter brought more misery, with the Cavs outscoring the Raptors 28-15, en route to a 31-point gap at the half, the largest halftime deficit in a conference final the NBA has ever seen.
The fans’ trash talk was hushed and with more than a minute left in the half, their seats were empty.