The 2024 NBA Finals clash was expected to be exciting between the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics, but the same didn’t show in numbers. According to Sports Media Watch’s reports, Thursday night’s game recorded an average of 5.7 rating and 10.99 million viewers on ABC, which is the least views any Finals Game 1 has registered since 2007.
Both ratings and viewership dropped 5% compared to the 2023 Finals Game 1. Last year, the Nuggets and Heat captured 6.0 and 11.58 million on ABC and ESPN2, whereas the Warriors and Celtics successfully brought in 6.4 and 11.90 million in 2022.
Considering the huge followers that the Celtics have and the growing fan base that Mavs’ Luka Doncic is acquiring day by day with his exceptional performance, much higher numbers were anticipated for the final matchup.
One reason could be the Cs’ dominance, outscoring the Western team by 21 points in the first half. This upset the Mavs fans and the Boston rival fans, who didn’t wait up to watch the Dallas team get beaten by 89-107.
PJ Washington Credits Boston Crowd for Mavericks Off-Day
Like many others, P.J. Washington pointed to the rattling of the TD Garden crowd as the major element that worked against the Mavericks and made them struggle on the crucial stage.
“We just have to stay connected, stay together,” said the Mavs forward. Pointing out where they went wrong, Washington stated, “I felt like we let the crowd get to us a little bit, let the refs get to us, let them making shot get to us.”
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
Concluding on a positive note, the 25-year-old further added, “But at the end of the day, we just have to stick together and be ourselves. We are a great team. They are a great team at the end of the day. We’re alright. It’s only one game. We’ll be better and we’ll be better for Game 2.” (1:24)
Washington scored 14 points and 8 rebounds in the game, while Kyrie Irving managed only 12-3-2. Although Luka Doncic scored a game-high 30 points, the team’s lacklustre performance led to its downfall.
To make a comeback in front of the same crowd on Sunday for Game 2, the Mavs certainly need to work together as a team, as Washington suggested.
Also Read: Former NBA Star Shares Tips for Dallas Mavericks’ Success in Game 2 of NBA Finals
