Way off.
The Golden State/Utah series has been the most watched of the second round through at least Sunday. The first four games of Jazz/Warriors make up half of the eight NBA Playoff games in the top 15 on cable. Game 4 on Sunday night drew 4.6 million viewers, third most for the week on ad-supported cable (which excludes HBO, whose ‘The Sopranos‘ led the week). That game was up 21% over the comparable Phoenix/L.A. Clippers Game 4 last year, and could very easily end up outdrawing several NBA Playoff games on broadcast (ABC).
If Golden State can manage an otherworldly comeback from three-games-to-one down, expect the high numbers to continue. However unlikely, a Golden State/Phoenix series would draw huge numbers for ESPN/ABC — possibly the highest yet for a Conference Final covered by the network (currently, the high water mark is 4.8 for Heat/Pistons last year).
More likely is the prospect of a Utah/San Antonio series (especially in light of the suspensions of Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw for Game 5). If that series plays out, there is the possibility that the two second round series in the west (Warriors-Jazz and Spurs-Suns) could draw higher ratings than the Western Conference Finals — that is, unless mainstream America has become enamored with the Jazz thanks to increased exposure to the team.
