The second and final matchup of the season between Kobe Bryant’s Lakers and LeBron James’ Cavaliers drew strong numbers on TNT Thursday.
The Cavaliers’ win over the Lakers drew a 2.5 U.S. rating on TNT Thursday night, up 108% from Celtics/Magic on the comparable night last year (1.2). Viewership for the game was not immediately available.
The 2.5 rating is the second-highest of the season for an NBA game on cable, behind only Celtics/Cavaliers on Opening Night (2.6).
To put the numbers in perspective, TNT drew a 2.3 U.S. rating for its lone Cavaliers/Lakers game last season and a 2.7 for its lone Lakers/Celtics game.
The lead-in from Lakers/Cavaliers did not benefit the Clippers/Nuggets game that followed. The Nuggets’ win drew a 1.0 U.S. rating, down 17% from Wizards/Lakers last year (1.2).
(Turner Sports)
