Celtics vs Lakers Draws Massive Viewership: 4.61 Million Viewers for Saturday Night Showdown
The Boston Celtics’ victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night was a significant event, not just for the teams involved but also for the NBA’s viewership numbers. Here are some key takeaways from the game and its impact:
Viewership Milestones
- Record Audience: The game drew the largest non-Christmas audience for an NBA regular-season game in seven years, with an average of 4.61 million viewers on ABC. This surpassed the previous high of 4.64 million viewers for a Celtics-Cleveland Cavaliers game in February 2018.
- Prime-Time Dominance: It was the most-watched prime-time program on Saturday night, peaking at 5.3 million viewers.
- Season Highlights: This season, only the Christmas Day tripleheader games have drawn more viewers than this Celtics-Lakers matchup. The Lakers have been featured in four of the top-10-rated games during the 2024-25 season.
Player Performances
- Jayson Tatum: The Celtics’ star had an outstanding performance with 40 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists.
- Jaylen Brown: Brown contributed significantly with 31 points and six assists.
- Luka Dončić: The Lakers’ forward scored 34 points, including five 3-pointers, and grabbed eight rebounds.
- LeBron James: Despite leaving the game in the fourth quarter due to a groin strain, James managed to score 22 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists in nearly 35 minutes. He is expected to miss 1-2 weeks of action.
