For only the 20th time in NBA history, the Finals series reached Game 7. Hence, the anticipation surrounding Game 7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers was much. And when the final buzzer sounded, it was the Thunder who claimed their first-ever NBA championship.
The excitement translated into record-breaking viewership numbers. Game 7 between Oklahoma City and Indiana became the most-watched NBA Finals game in the last six years. It drew an average audience of 16.35 million viewers. During the second half, the game peaked at 19.28 million viewers as fans tuned in to witness the dramatic finish.
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Reportedly, these numbers didn’t quite reach the heights of the 2016 classic, when the last time the NBA Finals series went on to Game 7 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors. That game averaged 31.02 million viewers. But still they were still a major win for the league.
The complete seven-game series between the Thunder and Pacers averaged 10.27 million viewers. The number is slightly lower than last year’s finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks, which drew 11.31 million on average. However, the sharp increase in viewership for the final game suggests fans are still eager for high-stakes basketball.
Gilbert Arenas Dismisses Thunder vs. Pacers Finals As Forgettable Small-Market Matchup
Despite the historic weight of the Thunder vs. Pacers series, not everyone walked away impressed. Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas didn’t hold back when sharing his thoughts on the significance. Arenas criticized the matchup for lacking long-term impact, chalking it up to the common fate of small-market teams.
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“Let’s just be honest. When it comes to small-market teams, we don’t remember much about them. We don’t really talk about the Toronto championship; we don’t talk about the Bucks-Giannis championship. With this one, the only memorable thing was the Hali game-winner in Game 1. Other than that, there was nothing really in this Finals that makes you say, ‘Oh my god, this was the great Finals,’” Arenas said.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP performance and the intense back-and-forth battles helped make the series compelling in its own right. Yet, for voices like Arenas, that may not be enough to elevate the series into the pantheon of all-time classics.
