A game so lopsided that Jeff Van Gundy implored viewers “just tuning in” to “tune out” was an unsurprisingly poor draw.
Game 5 of the Raptors/Cavaliers NBA Eastern Conference Finals had a 4.2 overnight rating on ESPN Wednesday night, down 38% from Rockets/Warriors last year (6.8) and down 26% from Heat/Pacers in 2014 (5.7). There was no Game 5 in last year’s Cavaliers/Hawks ECF, which aired on TNT.
The Cavaliers’ blowout win, in which they led by 31 at halftime and 40 entering the fourth quarter, is almost certain to finish as the lowest rated conference final Game 5 since 2007. Between 2008 and 2015, no Game 5 finished below a 4.3 final rating.
Wednesday’s game marked a reversal of fortune for the series, which hit a series-high 5.0 overnight for the Raptors’ Game 4 win. The 4.2 matches Game 3 as the second-lowest since the opener, which had a 4.1.
(Wed. numbers from ESPN)
