Orlando was like the rest of the country Monday. They were glued to their TV sets Monday night to watch Game Seven between Billy Donovan, the Oklahoma City Thunder, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.
The Warriors’ Game Seven win over the Thunder was the most-watched NBA game this season to date in Central Florida. Game Seven on TNT was a huge draw with 198,217 viewers, according to Nielsen.
To put that in perspective, Thunder-Warriors Game Seven more than doubled the TV audience of the distant second most watched television program of the night in CBS’ Person of Interest with 91,965. Rounding out the top five was FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance with 76,065, ABC’s The Bachelorette with 71,217 and a repeat of CBS’ Scorpion at 9 p.m. with 66,747. Game Seven of Thunder-Warriors did better than what Dancing with the Stars which normally wins Monday nights and doubles most of the NFL Monday Night game viewers during the fall on ESPN.
Nationally, Thunder-Warriors was watched by 15.9 million viewers making it the most watched non-Finals game since Game Seven between the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers in 2000. Thunder-Warriors Game Seven was also the most-watched television program in TNT’s history.
The Thunder-Warriors have been a huge success in Central Florida as Thursday’s Game Five of the Western Conference Finals on TNT garnered 131,784 according to Nielsen ratings, which was the most-watched television program of that night in Central Florida.
Thunder-Warriors beat CBS’ The Big Bang Theory, which usually dominates the ratings on Thursday nights. The Big Bang Theory was a repeat that evening.
Game Four of the Thunder-Warriors series on Tuesday night was the third most-watched television program in Central Florida with 108,418 viewers, trailing only Dancing with the Stars. Dancing with the Stars concluded its season that night by drawing 167,044 viewers.
It should not come as big of a surprise the Western Conference Finals is being watched more in Central Florida. The Thunder have former Gators head coach Billy Donovan in the series and the Warriors have become a ratings bonanza nationally, which has included Central Florida.
OrlandoMagic.com ranks 70 best players
Things have quieted down with the Orlando Magic of late. It has been a week since the team officially introduced Frank Vogel as its new head coach. Draft preparations are occurring behind closed doors as the team keeps things extremely private.
There is plenty of idle time now for debate over just about everything.
OrlandoMagic.com’s Josh Cohen is ready to throw his hat into one of the big debates among Magic fans: Dwight Howard or Shaquille O’Neal? Anfernee Hardaway or Tracy McGrady?
Cohen unveiled his ranking of the top 70 players in team history recently. Adding more fire into the back-room debates that embroil longtime Magic fans.
Copa America break coming at perfect time
Orlando City was limping into New York this weekend. Kaka was out with the Brazil National Team ahead of Copa America. And injuries were beginning to take their toll.
So too were the draws.
And so as Kevin Molino ran onto a cross from Carlos Rivas and headed it in to give the Lions an amazing draw against their rivals from New York, it was a saving grace. The Lions stole a point.
Now they get some time to relax just a bit.
With Copa America starting this week, Orlando City does not play again until June 18. Those two weeks will be a nice repose for a team that has struggled to keep some offensive fluidity and maintaining possession through the midfield.
Some time off to mend and regroup is certainly in order. Especially with the way the tam finished to head into the break with all this momentum from a come-from-behind victory at the death.
“We knew the last three games were going to be brutal for us. We’ve put ourselves in a bit of a hole with the amount of draws we’ve had lately,” Adrian Heath told Gavin Ewbank of The Mane Land. “The Montreal game was a big one for us, but I couldn’t be more pleased with the players’ efforts, considering the injuries, suspensions, and then you lose Kaká, who’s been such an influential part for us in the last few weeks. I think it speaks volumes for the amount of hard work that the players put in over the last week.”
At this mini break, Orlando City currently sits in seventh place, tied by points for fifth place. Orlando City is still unbeaten at home but has only two wins in five home matches. There is still a lot the team needs to improve upon to get over that red line and into the Playoffs.
The closing kick with Montreal, Philadelphia and New York City FC were all against three of the top four teams in the Eastern Conference. It was not easy to get out with three points in three games, even if those were opportunities to get more wins and climb a bit further up the table. More comfortably up the table.
The Lions have to find a way to scratch out wins once this break is over. Until then, the break will be a chance for them to reset their batteries.
