Luka Donc’s debut with the Los Angeles Lakers obtained massive ratings for ESPN despite arriving in a game that began at 10:30 pm et and whose result was never in doubt.
The network audience for Monday night, a 132-113 Lakers victory over Utah jazz, reached its maximum point at 2.55 million viewers. To put that in context, it increased 42% compared to the average NBA game last year in ESPN.
The game averaged 2.01 million viewers, according to Nielsen, and was the most watched contest of the day among the coveted demography of men from 18 to 34, 18 to 49 and 25 to 54 years.
That is despite Doncic only playing 24 minutes and scored 14 points in a Los Angeles game led by 12 points after the first quarter and 25 in the half time. The Lakers led up to 34 points, and Doncic stayed out the fourth quarter.
The 25 -year -old was acquired from the Dallas Mavericks in an impressive exchange of box office at the beginning of this month, and on Monday night he marked his first action since he suffered a tension in the left calf on Christmas day.
Doncic appears as questionable, but it is expected to play in Wednesday night in Utah, when the Lakers will try to extend their winning streak to seven in their final contest before the All-Star recess.
It will give James and Doncic another opportunity to build chemistry after some have questioned whether two players accustomed to being option No. 1 may succeed together in the long term.
“They are two of the best thinkers, problem solving we have seen,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “I don’t see any world in which those two play together is not a good thing. As I said, their processing speed, mentally, is incredible. And so, I am sure they will solve it.”
The Lakers are scheduled to play on national television on February 22 against the Denver Nuggets, which will be broadcast on ABC. Doncic will then pay your first return visit to Dallas three days later
