NBA Finals ratings drop in Game 3 after another rout

NEW YORK - With Game 3 of the NBA Finals turning into another rout, viewership is down from last year's much closer contest.

The Cleveland Cavaliers' 120-90 victory Wednesday night over the Golden State Warriors to pull within 2-1 in the series averaged nearly 16.5 million viewers on ABC. That's down about 12 percent from the almost 18.8 million for Game 3 between the same teams in 2015, when the Cavaliers won 96-91 to take a 2-1 series lead.

ESPN said Thursday that the audience was still the second largest for a Game 3 since the NBA Finals moved to ABC in 2003, behind only last season's matchup.