Four Raptors fans who camped out in the rain just for the privilege of watching the game in Toronto’s Jurassic Park will now be joining more than 19,000 spectators inside Scotiabank Arena to watch Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
Zac and Doug Tiessen from Stoney Creek and Tyler Seaton and Angie Taylor from Cambridge were lucky winners of a “first-in-line” promotion from Sobey’s.
READ MORE: Where to watch Game 5 Raptors-Warriors around the Hamilton and Niagara region
The four were at the front of a lineup to get into Jurassic Park when representatives from the grocery giant laid out free tickets for the foursome.
“We’re just blown away that Sobey’s gave us these tickets. We weren’t expecting it at all,” said Doug. “We just came here to experience Jurassic Park and now we’re not going to be experiencing it. Too bad, I guess.”
Doug says the surprise couldn’t have come at a better time from him and his son. It’s Doug’s first trip away with his son after battling Lyme disease and being unable to travel for 12 years.
Get daily National news
Once Doug was cleared for travel, he says his 22-year-old son Zac kept “badgering” him for a trip somewhere to make up for lost time. One of Zac’s suggestions was watching Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Jurassic Park.
READ MORE: Trudeau and Pelosi are wagering on the NBA Finals. Here’s what’s at stake
“I said: ‘If you stop badgering me, I’ll go,’ so hopefully this will make up (for) that,” said Doug.
After the decision to camp out for the weekend in Toronto — with the hope of at least being within the first 500 in line — both were surprised to arrive on Saturday afternoon to find just two other people in the lineup: Seaton and Taylor from Cambridge.
WATCH: Raptors fans wait for hours in the rain to get a spot in Jurassic Park
Since then, the four have endured the rain and hard concrete for more than 48 hours.
“We have two blankets and two pillows on the concrete and like three bags of food, books, games and such,” said Zac, “Yeah, it’s been pretty tough.”
The Toronto Raptors lead the best-of-seven series three games to one and can close out the series and lift the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy for the first time ever in Canada with a win.
As for a prediction, father and son believe it will be a close game.
“We feel like it’s going to be a closer game. Like, have called seven-point differential,” said Zac. “I think Kawhi (Leonard)’s obviously gonna win MVP.”
With files from Briana Carnegie.
Comments