NBA Finals ratings highest since Michael Jordan’s last championship

The Cleveland Cavaliers were poised to hand the Golden State Warriors their first loss of the postseason, but some impressive defence, and a late dramatic push saw the Warriors pull off a remarkable 118-113 comeback win to take a 3-0 series lead.

CLEVELAND — Game 3 of the NBA Finals drew 20.5 million viewers on ABC, an increase of 22 per cent from last season.

Golden State’s 118-113 victory over Cleveland was the closest game of the series and the most-watched Game 3 ever on ABC, according to Nielsen numbers announced Thursday.

The overall ratings for the series, the first time the same two teams have played in three straight Finals, are the highest since 1998, when Michael Jordan won his last championship. It is averaging 20 million viewers, up 11 per cent from 2016.

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