The San Antonio Spurs’ 91-79 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in their NBA playoffs series opener Sunday on ABC got a 4.6 overnight Nielsen rating, Sports Business Daily reported Monday.
It was the highest-rated opening weekend playoff game on the network in 10 years. It was 18 percent higher than the Lakers-Denver Nuggets opener from last year.
The only opening weekend game to rate higher in ABC history was a Lakers-Minnesota Timberwolves matchup in 2003, which had a 5.1 overnight.
The network’s only game Saturday, the New York Knicks’ win over the Boston Celtics, had a 3.7 overnight. That is 3 percent lower than last year’s comparable Miami Heat-Knicks matchup.
The Chicago Bulls-Brooklyn Nets and Memphis Grizzlies-Los Angeles Clippers games Saturday night on ESPN each had a 2.6 overnight. The Bulls-Nets rating is 24 percent higher than last year’s comparable Indiana Pacers-Orlando Magic game, but the Grizzlies-Clippers rating was 16 percent lower than last year’s comparable Oklahoma City Thunder-Dallas Mavericks matchup.
Saturday afternoon’s Golden State Warriors-Nuggets game had a 2.4 overnight. There is no comparable game from last season.