This article has the evidence to prove it: Interesting playoff races, some blockbuster trades, and a tight MVP race has resulted in higher TV ratings and the league's highest-ever attendance for the month of March (4.2 million), which is usually dominated by college basketball.
Also, sales at the NBA Store on Fifth Avenue were up 46 percent year-over-year in March, according to this AP story -- which I happen to know was written by my friend, AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney, even though there's no byline on the link.
Enjoy ... and enjoy the basketball, even if we in New York are having a hard time doing that lately.