Warriors vs. Rockets Game 1 Breaks TNT's Western Conference Ratings Record

While Game 1 of the 2018 Western Conference Finals wasn't the instant classic many hoped for, it was a ratings bonanza for TNT.

The network announced Tuesday that Monday night's game between the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors set a record with 8.8 million total viewers, the highest-ever Western Conference Final Game 1 rating for TNT. Warriors-Rockets was the most-viewed WCF opener on any network since the 2002 matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings.

Viewership was up 9 percent compared to Game 1 of the 2017 Western Conference Finals between the Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs.

Kevin Durant scored 37 points and Klay Thompson added 28, as the Warriors pulled away in the second half for a 119-106 win in Houston. James Harden had 41 points and Chris Paul finished with a 23-point, 11-rebound double-double, but the Warriors controlled the pace and throttled Houston's iso-heavy offense.

Aside from Clint Capela, who did his work in the restricted area, every Rockets role player missed more than half their shots. 

The Rockets reeled off 65 wins in the regular season to capture home-court advantage and spent all season discussing how their team was built to go toe-to-toe with the Warriors. One game doesn't tell the whole story of a series—far from it—but Game 1 may not have entirely lived up to the hype.

Luckily, the star power in the games was enough to keep people tuned in. 

Bleacher Report is owned by Turner Broadcasting.