Posted on 05/31/2019 8:23:21 AM PDT by EdnaMode
The opening matchup of the 2019 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors made history last night, in more ways than one.
Played before a sellout crowd in The 6, including one former Prime Minister and a very passionate Drake, Game 1 of this year’s championship series was the first to been played outside the U.S. and the first NBA Finals game to see a non-American team win. The Raptors’ 118-109 victory over the reigning champs showed that this battle for the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy isn’t going to be a walk for Steph Curry and the Warriors.
With a 10.1/19 in metered market ratings for Thursday’s 9-11:45 PM ET game, this year’s NBA Finals are certainly not going to be a walk for ABC, either. Those numbers are off a hard 18% from Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals in the early metrics.
In fact, with only one U.S. market team in competition, this year’s opener is the worst any Game 1 has performed in metered-market ratings in a decade, dipping just below the results of Game 1 in 2009, when the Los Angeles Lakers beat the visiting Orlando Magic on June 1 of that year.
Also shown on the Disney-owned network, that Game 1 in the far-off TV era of 2009 went on to earn 13.04 million viewers. Steady with 2017, Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals pulled in an audience of nearly 17.4 million as the Warriors topped the then LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers 124-114 in overtime on May 31 of that year.
Will Warriors fatigue also become a factor in this year’s finals? Sunday’s Game 2 could shed more light on that for a team that has been in the NBA title series every year since 2015.
In the meantime, we’ll update later with more NBA Finals ratings plus CBS’ Elementary, Fox’s Paradise Hotel and more that was also on TV on Thursday. Until then, check out some of the best of the action from up North last night:
But
Africans
On any given night, with Curry, Durant, and Thompson on the floor, any of them might emerge as the lead scorer. The loss of Durant is crucial and the Warriors have to perform perfectly the rest of the way. Tough to do of course, but the away games make it brutal.
Have not followed the NBA since the 1960s. Sorry but I will not be Brainwashed by the Filthy Heathen Liberals.
I don’t really watch nba, but I hate seth curry, f’een half breed racist against his own half white ancestors. I won’t watch but I’ll root for the Raptors.
Who cares, men being paid untold millios of dollars to run up and down the court with a ball. Like I said: “Who cares!”
What is ‘the 6’?
I see the Raptors play in Scotiabank Arena
Last finals I watched was 2007 with Mavs vs. whoever. I liked Mavs’ Dirk and Suns’ Steve Nash in the contentious semis. Classy players. Now ALL thugs. Lost interest.
If the writer had called the Raptors a Canadian team, I’d have no problem with that - I realize they play half their games in Canada, and as a positive description, that’s completely legitimate. But the author preferred a negative characterization, despite the fact that in the most fundamental sense a “team” is a collection of players, and those players are largely from the US.
And yeah, somebody could describe the Bruins or the Blues as non-Canadian teams, but why use a negative characterization, especially when everyone realizes just about every NHL team is mostly made up of Canadians? Actually since the Original Six were 2/3rd’s located in the States, it might be easier to justify the Canadian / non-Canadian designation in that case, but I’d still argue the negative terminology would tend to minimize the fundamental Canadian contribution to the sport.
because the building was sold out and thousands were standing outside watching it on big screen at $5.00 bucks as head.There were no ‘empty seats.” your inference was totally bogus misleading fake news about Toronto’s support of their team.
Now that is an obscure piece of useless information. ie trivia
What is wrong with you? On my TV screen was empty seats and the game was on. It's not 'news', fake or otherwise, and it's not impugning "Toronto's support of their team."
You have a strange chip on your shoulder about Canada and I doubt anyone really cares about the fans' devotion. It's unimportant.
I thought some people might not know.
The 6 is a nickname Drake has applied to the city of Toronto and many here embrace it. It either refers to the last digit in the original area code for the city 416 or the 6 former municipalities that amalgamated into the current city.
Toronto Maple Leafs, longtime NHL team last won Stanley Cup shortly before Sgt Pepper was released
Now this is gonna sound pretty weird but when I glanced at that headline, I saw "Historic win for tomato farmers".........I know, I know, that was weird.
Audience down in the US but through the roof in Canada so there is that to compensate.
I checked the makeup of the Raptors roster. 11 Americans and 1 each from Canada, Cameroon, Congo, England and Spain. Of the Americans all are black except Jeremy Lin. The others are also black except Marc Gasol.
Funny thing is Curry and his fellow Warriors are staying at the St. Regis hotel in downtown Toronto for the Finals. That was formerly the Trump hotel. Trump curse anyone? :)
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