Big gains for Celtics-Knicks as NBA Playoffs continues upward trend

NBA playoff viewership continues to trend above last year, with the Celtics-Knicks series producing a pair of big gains for Games 3 and 4.

Through Monday, NBA playoff games are averaging 3.7 million viewers across ESPN, ABC, TNT and NBA TV, with that figure rising to 4.05 million with NBA TV excluded — up 5 and 6 percent respectively from last year. Second round games are averaging 4.83 million, up 5% from last year’s 4.58 million.

Monday’s Celtics-Knicks second round Game 4 averaged 6.13 million viewers on ESPN, up 50% from Celtics-Cavaliers the same night last year, which aired on TNT (4.09M). The Knicks’ win, which peaked with 8.54 million, delivered the second-largest audience of the playoffs on cable. (Warriors-Rockets Game 7 averaged 6.63 million on TNT in the first round.)

Game 3 on Saturday averaged 5.34 million on ABC, up 38% from Thunder-Mavericks in the same window last year (3.87M).

Later Saturday, Timberwolves-Warriors Game 3 averaged 6.57 million on ABC — up 17% from Celtics-Cavaliers last year (5.60M) and the most-watched game of the second round thus far. Monday’s Game 4 drew 4.67 million, up 8% from Thunder-Mavericks on TNT last year (4.34M).

Figures for Monday’s NBA Draft Lottery, which led into the doubleheader, were not immediately available.

In other action, ABC averaged 6.01 million for Thunder-Nuggets Game 4 on Sunday — up 19% from Knicks-Pacers last year (5.03M). Game 3 drew 4.24 million on ESPN Friday, down 19% from last year’s comparable Nuggets-Timberwolves game (5.21M).

Earlier Friday, Cavaliers-Pacers Game 3 drew 3.91 million on ESPN — down 13% from Knicks-Pacers a year ago (4.49M). Figures for Sunday’s Game 4 rout, in which Indiana led by 41 at halftime, were not immediately available.

Rounding out the recent playoff slate, last Thursday’s Warriors-Timberwolves Game 2 averaged 4.96 million across on TNT and truTV — up 10% from Mavericks-Thunder last year (4.52M).