Lakers-Celtics Rivalry Matchup Generated Record-Breaking Viewership Numbers

The Los Angeles Lakers have been playing some really good basketball. Heading into their big showdown with the Celtics over the weekend, they had won eight straight games.

After playing the Celtics, they lost their first game in quite a while. They lost 111-101 and now have lost two straight games after also losing to the Brooklyn Nets.

Against the Celtics, the Lakers lost more than just the game. They also lost LeBron James to a groin injury that will sideline him for one to two weeks.

It was a good litmus test for the Lakers. It shows them that they still have some work to do in order to be a true NBA Finals contender.

Whenever those two teams play, the rest of the NBA world takes notice. They are the two most franchises in the league, and each of them has fans around the world.

It's no wonder that the game had as many viewers as it did. It was the most-watched NBA regular season game in the last seven years.

4.61 million people, on average, watched the game on Saturday night. It peaked at 5.3 million and was the most-watched program in primetime on Saturday.

Lakers-Celtics averaged 4.61 million viewers on NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC, making it the most-watched regular season game in seven years (excluding Christmas Day) and up 92% vs. the comparable window. The game peaked at 5.3 million viewers and was the most-watched program in… pic.twitter.com/Z5OWNGIOIS
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) March 11, 2025

When these two franchises are good, there aren't many things better in the NBA. Fans from across the league love watching these two go at it.

With how good they are, this was a potential NBA Finals preview. If that ends up being the matchup we get in June, the NBA is going to be very pleased.

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Los Angeles will now have to weather the storm without James. That means that Luka Doncic will have to carry the load offensively.

Right now, the Lakers sit third in the Western Conference standings. They are a game behind the Denver Nuggets for the second spot.

The Lakers will keep getting put on nationally televised games because they bring in a lot of viewers. That viewership has only gone up since they acquired Doncic before the trade deadline.

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