Warriors vs. Celtics, Must-See TV? NBA Finals Ratings

The Mavs were eliminated at the hands of the Golden State Warriors, who are apparently must-see TV.

The bad news is, the San Antonio Spurs fell short of the NBA playoffs this season. The good news is, now the Spurs look towards the NBA Draft, where San Antonio owns the 9th overall pick, to add to a roster that could fulfill postseason ambitions.

In addition to the Spurs owning three first-round picks, optimism also surrounds the Spurs chances at landing restricted free agent Deandre Ayton. The Phoenix Suns and Ayton appear primed for a split in the offseason and Ayton has emerged as one of the hottest names to watch ahead of free agency.

All the while, the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors are apparently already must-see TV.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Warriors and the Boston Celtics are the most-watched in three years. The NBA Finals ratings are up 37 percent from 2021 series, averaging nearly 12 million viewers in Game 1, according to Nielsen.

After splitting the first two games of the series in San Francisco, the Celtics host the Warriors on Wednesday in a critical Game 3. With series tied, the team that wins Game 3 has won the championship 82.1 percent of the time (32-7).

The Celtics haven't dominated at home in the postseason; The Celtics went 1-2 at home against Miami and 2-2 at home against Milwaukee. However, Boston is 6-0 following a loss and those wins have often come in dominating fashion.

FUN FACT: Entering Game 3, the Warriors have won at least one road game in each of the last 26 playoff series - Good for an NBA record streak that began in 2013. Can Golden State continue that streak in the team’s first road game of the Finals?

RECORDS: GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (1-1) VS. BOSTON CELTICS (1-1)

WHEN: Wednesday, June 8, 2022 at 8 p.m. CT

LOCATION: TD Garden — Boston, MA

TV/RADIO: ABC

ODDS: The Celtics are 3.5-point favorites vs. the Warriors.

NEXT: Game 4 is Friday, June 10 at 8 p.m. CT in Boston before shifting back to San Francisco for Game 5 on Monday, June 13 at 8 p.m. CT.

• Game 6: Thursday, June 16 at 8 CT, ABC (If necessary)

• Game 7: Sunday, June 19 at 7 CT, ABC (If necessary)

LAST WORD: Jayson Tatum on playing at home, the first Finals game hosted at TD Garden in 12 years.

"I feel like recently we've kind of relaxed at home. Whether we thought because we had home-court advantage, we came out a little more relaxed. But just having that sense of urgency, knowing that we're at home, but that we need to play better at home.”