I didn't think Thursday's game would be this big a draw. Lucky I didn't have money on that guess 
Game 6 of the Los Angeles Lakers-Houston Rockets NBA playoff series became the most-watched basketball game ever on ESPN and the cabler's highest-rated program of 2009, the network announced.
The telecast, which aired from 6:51 to 9:35 p.m. on the West Coast, drew 7.35 million viewers, surpassing a 2006 Miami-Detroit NBA Eastern Conference finals game. Thursday's game drew a 5.4 rating nationally, 13.0 in Los Angeles and 16.0 in Houston.
via - Variety.
At this rate, the Finals should be the highest ever!
i can’t believe my beloved lakers are going seven games with the rockets. get this team playing good again philip!
Before we even get to the Finals, I can only imagine how crazy the Western Conference Finals are going to be.
I saw it coming, 2 of what the top 4 populations in the US playing each other, with one underdog playing without its stars and still beating the big bad number 1 seeded team?
I think Game 7 will be huge.
Finals: Denver vs Cleveland with the Cavs winning. Mark it. If the Lakers have this much trouble beating the Rockets who are without McGrady and Yao, there is no way they can beat Denver who just plowed through Dallas. And nobody can stop Cleveland.
Last year didn’t have a lot of “amazing”, but this year certainly has. Game sevens in 1/3 of the series so far, plenty of overtimes and close finishes, tons of clutch shots, insanely pumped-up crowds, and the occasional fight/controversy (but not so many that it alienates people). I have avoided the NBA, including the playoffs, like the plague for years, but these last few weeks have gotten me hooked again. Well done, fellas.
I’d like to know how much of a boost the numerous game sevens in the NHL Playoffs have given to Versus. They had three this past week(!), with obviously the Washington-Pittsburgh series getting the most media exposure.
If the Finals is Cavs – Lakers You would Expect the Ratings to be higher than Last year’s High Finals Ratings!. Anybody willing to predict nba finals tv ratings?