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First two games of the NBA Finals most watched since Michael Jordan’s last title

The Warriors-Cavaliers rivalry continues in Game 5 Monday night

A lot has been made about a lack of competitive games thus far in the NBA Playoffs. And while most hoped that would change with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors meeting in the Finals for the third consecutive year, it just hasn’t happened.

Golden State won the first two games in Oakland by a combined 41 points. To some, this has led to a lack of interest in the Finals. The Warriors are too dominant. Kevin Durant signing with the now three-time defending Western Conference champions ruined the game. The interest just isn’t there.

Well, the Nielsen company is here to throw that entire idea out the window. According to the television ratings site, the first two games of the Finals averaged 19.6 million viewers.

That’s up five percent from last year and the most-watched first two games of a Finals series since the Chicago Bulls took on the Utah Jazz in 1998. Coincidently enough, that was the last Finals series the great Michael Jordan played in.

Whether these huge ratings continue remains to be seen. We can expect a large audience on Wednesday as the Cavaliers look to avoid a 3-0 series hole at home. Should LeBron and Co. fail in that attempt, Game 4 will likely see a strong decrease in viewership.

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