OK, we get it ... a lot of people watched, right after the Ducks' game 7 tank

Latest Breaking News From ESPN Media Central:

ESPN's telecast of the NBA Conference Semifinal Game 6 between the Lakers and Houston Rockets on Thursday did a 5.4 rating representing an average of 5,306,000 household impressions and 7,352,000 total viewers to become the network's most-viewed basketball game ever. The previous record audience was 4,990,000 households and 6,602,000 viewers for Miami/Detroit, Game 6 of the 2006 Eastern Conference Finals (May 31).

It's also the highest-rated and most-viewed NBA Playoff game on cable in 2009 and the network's highest-rated and most-viewed program in the calendar year (since December 29, 2008), topping last week's Game 3 from the series (Lakers/Houston, May 8 - 4.5 rating; 4,432,000 households; 5,952,000 viewers).

The game did a 13.0 rating in L.A. and 16.0 rating in Houston.

Coverage of the Lakers/Rockets series will continue with Game 7 Sunday (12:30 p.m. Staples Center, Channel 7 with Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy and reporter Doris Burke. ESPN/ABC also has the Western Conference finals; TNT will have the Eastern Conference finals.