The Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics met in primetime on Saturday night for one of the most highly-anticipated matchups of the season for any team. The Lakers had won eight games in a row, 12 games against teams above .500 and had a 20-4 record in their previous 24 games. The Celtics were 13-3 in their last 16, and it was the first time in decades that both teams matched up this late in the season with both teams in the top two in their conferences.
The game, in some ways, lived up to the hype. It was competitive the whole way through, especially in the first half, and saw great performances from the star players on both sides. However, LeBron James suffered a groin strain in the fourth quarter, allowing the Celtics to pull away in the final minutes.
Even with the somewhat deflated ending, it was still an incredible atmosphere, and the TV ratings prove it. The league announced on Tuesday morning that the Lakers-Celtics battle received ratings not seen in nearly a decade in the regular season:
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
The Lakers and Celtics have the best rivalry in the history of basketball and one of the best rivalries in all of sports. With both teams being as good as they are — with the star power that both teams have — it’s no surprise that a matchup between the two would do this well.
These two teams meeting in the NBA Finals this season is a legitimate possibility, and seeing a potential Finals preview in March with James, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown is absolutely enough to get viewers to tune in.
LeBron James: Lakers not at Celtics level yet
After the loss to the Celtics, LeBron James spoke candidly about where he feels the Lakers are at in the scheme of the league right now, and it came with both positives and negatives.
He feels that the Lakers are capable of competing with anyone, and certainly could win a championship. However, he wouldn’t put the Lakers on the same level as the Celtics yet given that they are the reigning champions and the chemistry they have developed over the last few years.
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