Warriors - Rockets Game 5 Was the Highest-Rated NBA Game on ESPN in 3 Years

Things I didn’t see coming for $600, Alex:

Warriors-Rockets Game 5 was the highest-rated NBA game on ESPN in the last three years. That’s what ESPN said in a press release today, touting the game’s shocking 6.8 overnight rating. Warriors 104, Rockets 90 peaked with an 8.1 overnight rating late in the 4th quarter. Probably everyone getting stoked for a Riley Curry appearance.

Also interesting, and something that bodes extremely well for the NBA Finals:

"Additionally, Game 5 was up double-digits from both the Western Conference Finals and Eastern Conference Finals Game 5’s in 2014. Last night’s 6.8 was up 28 percent from a 5.3 for San Antonio-Oklahoma City in 2014 and up 19 percent from a 5.7 for Miami-Indiana in 2014."

So how strong will ratings be for the Finals (on ABC)? You’ve got the MVP, the best player on the planet, and I’d say some decent storylines:

* LeBron in the Finals for the 5th straight year (2-2)
* The Warriors being the most exciting show in the NBA (and up there in sports)
* Two rookie coaches
* Can the trigger happy Warriors, who make and take more 3-pointers, win a title that way?

Since Michael Jordan’s last NBA Finals – 1998 – ratings have sank. Jordan’s Bulls averaged an 18.7 rating in those finals against the Jazz; the best since that was Shaq and Kobe vs. Allen Iverson in 2001 (12.1 average rating). In recent years, the Lakers/Celtics 7-game war in 2010 pulled in a 10.6, a number I can see the Warriors and Cavaliers matching, assuming the series is competitive.