The Boston Celtics’ 111-101 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday March 8th became the most-watched regular season game in seven years. This excludes games played on Christmas day.
Showcased on NBA Saturday Primetime on Saturday, 4.61 million viewers tuned in for the matchup with a peak of 5.3 million viewers. It represents a 92 percent increase vs. the next comparable window.
Luka Doncic played the Boston Celtics in last year’s NBA Finals as a member of the Dallas Mavericks. The intrigue of him in a Lakers uniform in a storied rivalry certainly adding to the intrigue.
Boston took control in the second half, outscoring the Lakers 29-13 in the third quarter. A late rally fell short for Los Angeles and LeBron James suffered a groin strain in the process. He is expected to miss at least a couple weeks.
Mavs’ Pain is NBA’s Gain
While Mavs fans are certainly enduring through a brutal phase, there is no doubting the NBA is loving every minute of Doncic in a Lakers uniform.
There are more marquee matchups ahead, too.
The Lakers and Doncic will face Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks twice over the next week. Ditto, Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.
Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns await on Sunday, March 13th. There is a game against Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors on Apr. 3 followed by a double-fixture against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder featuring MVP favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
On Wednesday Apr. 9 comes the main event of all main events. Doncic’s first return to Dallas to play the Mavs. This will surely enter most watched territory.
How Much Will LeBron’s Absence Be Felt?
There is no question that James possibly making his last appearance in Boston added to the intrigue of the matchup. How much his absence takes away from the marquee fixtures to come will be interesting to see.
Now is also the time to question how interesting these games will actually be from a competitive standpoint now without James.
In the Lakers’ first game without James, they shockingly fell to a Brooklyn Nets team that seems focused on the lottery.
Third in the West with a 40-23 record, it will take a Herculean effort from Doncic to keep the Lakers in the upper echelon of the West.