Home court advantage paid off for the Toronto Raptors who in their first ever NBA Finals appearance held on to record the 118-109 victory.
Pascal Siakam led the charge as the Golden State Warriors rallied late but couldn't get past the incredible team defence.
Here are the player ratings from an enthralling Game 1 contest:
Pascal Siakam - 10
What a game for Siakam. The favourite to take out this seasons Most Improved Player award was unstoppable on both ends as he rattled off 11 straight makes from the field as he ended with 32 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks to become the first player to record a 30-5-5 with 2 blocks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals since Kobe Bryant in 2009.
Marc Gasol - 9
Gasol picked the perfect time to have his highest scoring output in a Raptors jersey as he finished the contest with a pristine 6-10 shooting for 20 points. Defensively the former DPOY was at his formidable best.
Stephen Curry - 8
It didn't go according to plan for the Warriors, but Curry did everything he could to keep them in it. The Raptors defense was tough, but that couldn't stop Curry from finishing with a game-high 34 points on 8-18 shooting to go along with 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
Kyle Lowry - 8
Fans will point to the box score and highlight the seven points from Lowry, but his overall impact can't be put on a statsheet. Defensively Lowry was everywhere as he drew several charges and offensively he continued to make the right pass and feed his teammates.
Fred VanVleet - 8
The resurgence is real! In 33 minutes off the bench, VanVleet ended the game an equal team high +11. Locked down Stephen Curry when directly opposed to him and continued to make big shot after big shot.
😱😱😱
— NBA Australia (@NBA_AU) May 31, 2019
How @FredVanVleet, how? #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/yUZPzRVQ2J
Draymond Green - 7
The Warriors Swiss army knife was back at it again as he finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. The only thing holding him back from a higher rating was his six turnovers and 2-9 shooting from the floor.
Kawhi Leonard - 7
Andre Igoudala did a good job against The Klaw, but Leonard still put his fingerprints on the contest by tallying 23 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists.
Danny Green - 7
The shooting stroke from Danny Green is back! After several games where he struggled mightily from beyond the arc, Green had it going early before burying a key three in the third as the Warriors attempted to mount another comeback.
Klay Thompson - 6
Toronto's defense refused to let Klay get off the hook and the Warriors offense struggled because of it. Frustrated by not being able to get going, was hit with a technical foul in the fourth quarter as the game slipped away.
Andre Igoudala - 6
Limped off late in the game after playing stellar defense on the dangerous Kawhi Leonard for the majority of the game. Offensively he wasn't at his best, missing all four of this three point attempts.
Jordan Bell - 5
Inserted into the starting lineup but only played a total of 12 minutes a he struggled to make his presence known when on the floor as the Raptors took control of the contest.
Warriors bench - 5
Steve Kerr went six deep into the bench rotations and while the unit finished with a combined 36 points, the overall impact just wasn't there. DeMarcus Cousins will bounce back, but needs more game time under his belt.