The NBA Finals get underway north of the border for the first time ever on Thursday night, as the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors take on the Toronto Raptors, playing in their first title series.

The Warriors are a solid favorite to hoist their fourth Larry O’Brien trophy in five years — thanks to the typically wonderful play of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, among others. Golden State comes in fresh off a sweep of Portland — this despite injuries to both Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins is expected to return to the lineup on Thursday

Toronto comes in after having taken down Milwaukee in a tight, six-game series. They’ll have the advantage of playing before a raucous crowd Thursday night, and they’ll need to take advantage. In order to convince the public they have a shot, Game 1 feels like a must-win for Toronto.

Tip-off is scheduled for shortly after 9:00 p.m. ET. ABC has the coverage, with Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, and Jeff Van Gundy on the call. The game will also be streamed online, via ESPN, free with a cable subscription. The ESPN app can be downloaded from Apple’s App Store, and the Google Play Store.

[featured photo via Getty Images]