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Two historic NBA games aired Wednesday night; one was cable’s original top show in adults 18-49, and the other was the night’s cable leader in total viewership.
Per national data from Showbuzz, ESPN 2’s coverage of the Utah Jazz vs. Los Angeles Lakers, which marked the last game of Kobe Bryant’s career, drew a 1.74 adults 18-49 rating and 3.47 million total viewers. It was the night’s top cable program in adults 18-49 and #2 program in overall audience.
ESPN’s Golden State Warriors vs. Memphis Grizzlies game, which featured the Warriors’ record-setting 73rd regular season win, was cable’s #2 Wednesday original in the demo and #1 in viewership. It posted a 1.58 adults 18-49 rating and drew 3.65 million total viewers.
Airing as a lead-in to the Warriors game, ESPN’s coverage of the Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics contest drew a 0.75 rating and 1.79 million total viewers.