Ratings surge for NBA Finals Game 7 after early slump
NEW YORK, June 23 (Reuters) - Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers averaged 16.4 million viewers on Sunday, making it the most-watched Finals game in six years, the league said on Monday.
The Thunder beat the Pacers 103-91 to clinch the title in a physical affair that unravelled for Indiana in the second half after point guard Tyrese Haliburton left with an Achilles injury early in the game.
The viewership was welcome news for the NBA after the clash of two small-market teams yielded disappointing ratings early in the best-of-seven series.
The Game 1 opener averaged 8.91 million viewers on ABC, according to Sports Media Watch, the lowest viewership for the Finals opener in the Nielsen era, outside of the two COVID-affected seasons.
The series that was short on starpower ended with the Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander capping one of the best individual seasons in NBA history.
The 26-year-old became only the fourth player - and the first since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000 - to earn the scoring title as well as league and Finals MVP honours in the same season.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
14 minutes ago
- Reuters
D-backs 3B Eugenio Suarez exits after HBP on hand
June 24 - Among the major league leaders in home runs and RBIs this season, Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez was hit on the right hand with a pitch and left Monday's road game against the Chicago White Sox. Facing White Sox starter Shane Smith in the first inning, Suarez was struck by a 95.9 mph four-seam fastball and walked toward the Arizona dugout in pain. Suarez stayed in the game after he was examined by manager Torey Lovullo and a trainer, but was replaced in the field for the bottom of the first by Ildemaro Vargas. The 33-year-old Suarez is hitting .251 with 25 home runs and 67 RBIs in 78 games this season. In 12 seasons with the Detroit Tigers (2014), Cincinnati Reds (2015-21), Seattle Mariners (2022-23) and Diamondbacks, Suarez has hit .249 with 301 homers and 898 RBIs in 1,548 games. Suarez's eight-year, $79 million contract is set to expire after this season. --Field Level Media
Reuters
30 minutes ago
- Reuters
Report: Mavs C Daniel Gafford to sign 3-year, $60M extension
June 24 - Center Daniel Gafford, a key piece of the formidable frontcourt for the Dallas Mavericks, will sign a three-year contract extension worth close to $60 million, ESPN reported on Monday. Other media outlets reported that Gafford's deal will be worth $54 million. In 2025-26, the 26-year-old Gafford is set to earn $14.4 million -- per Spotrac -- in the final year of a three-year, $40.2 million contract extension he signed in 2021 with the Washington Wizards. According to ESPN, Gafford's agents -- Mike George and Shy Saee of Klutch Sports -- worked with Dallas officials on the new deal, which runs through the 2028-29 season. Gafford, who joined the Mavericks in a trade with the Wizards in February 2024 and helped Dallas reach the NBA Finals that spring, will again team up with Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively II in the frontcourt. That trio is expected to be joined by Duke star Cooper Flagg with Dallas holding the No. 1 pick in Wednesday's NBA Draft. A second-round pick of the Chicago Bulls in the 2019 draft, Gafford is an impressive finisher, boasting the highest career field goal percentage (71 percent) in the NBA since he entered the league. In 2023-24, he led the NBA in field goal percentage at 72.5 percent. In six seasons with the Bulls (2019-21), Wizards (2021-24) and Mavericks, Gafford has averaged 9.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game over 378 games (215 starts). --Field Level Media
Reuters
35 minutes ago
- Reuters
Trevor Rogers, Jackson Holliday help O's stymie Rangers
June 24 - Jackson Holliday smacked a three-run home run and a run-scoring double and Trevor Rogers pitched eight shutout innings as the Baltimore Orioles defeated the visiting Texas Rangers 6-0 to open a three-game series Monday night. Rogers (1-0), in his third big-league outing of the season, held the Rangers to three singles across eight frames (101 pitches). He struck out four without a walk. This marked his first victory with the Baltimore organization. He last won in July 2024 with the Miami Marlins before a trade to the Orioles. Andrew Kittredge worked a perfect ninth inning, needing only five pitches to complete the game. Holliday racked up three hits and Ramon Laureano had a double among his two hits for Baltimore, which had eight players with at least one hit. All four of Holliday's RBIs came with two outs. The Rangers didn't threaten, stranding three runners and only having one plate appearance with a runner in scoring position. Texas lost for only the third time in its last nine road games. Rangers starter Patrick Corbin (4-7) allowed five runs and nine hits in five-plus innings. He struck out six without issuing a walk. The Orioles, who snapped a two-game losing streak as they were coming off a 3-4 road trip, opened the scoring on Holliday's third-inning double. That drove in Chadwick Tromp, who reached base on a two-out double. Tromp was in his first game after getting called up from Triple-A Norfolk as catching injuries altered Baltimore's roster during the weekend. Holliday's ninth home run of the season came in the fifth inning to stretch the lead to 4-0. Holliday has two three-hit outings in a four-game span. The margin grew in the sixth with Coby Mayo's groundout, and the score reached 6-0 in the seventh on Ramon Urias' sacrifice fly. --Field Level Media
