Luka Doncic’s debut with Los Angeles Lakers received massive ratings for ESPN even though he came in a game that started at 22:30 and whose results were never in doubt.
The network’s audience for Monday night’s game-a Lakers victory 132-113 over Utah Jazz-topped on 2.55 million viewers. To put it in context, it increased by 42 percent compared to last year’s average NBA game on ESPN.
The game was on average 2.01 million viewers, according to Nielsen, and was the most watching the game during the day among the coveted demographics in men 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 years old.
It is despite Doncic playing only 24 minutes and scored 14 points in a game of Los Angeles led with 12 points after the first quarter and 25 points at half time. The Lakers led by as many as 34 points, and Doncic set out the fourth quarter.
The 25-year-old was acquired from Dallas in a shocking blockbuster trading earlier this month, and Monday evening marked his first action since he suffered a left calf trunk on Christmas Day.
Doncic is listed as doubtful but is expected to play in Wednesday night’s game in Utah, when the Lakers will try to expand their winning line to seven in their final game before all-Star-Break.
It will give James and Doncic a new chance to build chemistry after some have questioned whether two players who are used to being the number 1 alternative can succeed together in the long term.
“They are two of the best thinkers, problem solvers that we have ever seen,” said Jazz coach Will Hardy. “I see no world where the two playing together are not good. As I said, their processing speed, mentally, is incredible. And so I’m sure they will figure it out.”
Lakers are the next scheduled to play on national TV on February 22 against Denver, which will be broadcast at ABC. Doncic then pays his first return visit in Dallas three days later
-Field level media
