‘It was insane’: Regina man watches Raptors make history

The Toronto Raptors have reached new heights as a franchise and one Regina man was there to witness history.

Tyson Liske was in Toronto on a work trip and his boss supplied him with a ticket to Game 6 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena.

“It was insane,” said Liske.

What Liske didn’t know was that the Raptors would shock the basketball world, ousting the Milwaukee Bucks 100-94 and punching their ticket to the NBA Finals for the first time in team history.

“The crowd was just waiting for that moment when the clock ticked down,” Liske said. “Everything went wild and they hit the floor and everyone was all over the place. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a celebration quite like that.”

It wasn’t easy for Toronto, which trailed by 13 at the end of the first quarter. Led by superstar Kawhi Leonard, the team slowly chipped away at the Bucks’ lead throughout the game, making the crowd a factor once again.

“The crowd never relented,” Liske told the 980 CJME Greg Morgan Morning Show on Monday. “Everyone was absolutely into it. It was one of the loudest arenas I’ve ever been in in my life. Everyone was totally into it, it was electric, people were on their feet for half the game — they just never gave up.”

Liske said that dunks by Serge Ibaka and Leonard changed the mood inside the building.

“The crowd was on their feet, they knew that the win was coming,” said Liske. “At that point, the confidence had totally shifted and you could just feel. The air was buzzing and people were on their feet and high-fiving each other and becoming best friends with everyone in the arena.”

Outside the building, the streets became an unofficial party zone, with hundreds of fans celebrating the win.

“I was close enough that I got to see a few people up on a city bus,” said Liske.

The Raptors are to meet the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday.