Ratings for Game 3 of NBA Finals up 22 percent from last season

CLEVELAND -- Game 3 of the NBA Finals drew 20.5 million viewers on ABC, an increase of 22 percent from last season.

Golden State's 118-113 victory over Cleveland was the closest game of the series and the most-watched Game 3 ever on ABC, according to Nielsen numbers announced Thursday.

The overall ratings for the series, the first time the same two teams have played in three straight Finals, are the highest since 1998, when Michael Jordan won his last championship. It is averaging 20 million viewers, up 11 percent from 2016.