The Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers faced off Tuesday night for the first time since the blockbuster three-team trade involving Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis.
While Davis sat with an injury, fans couldn’t wait to catch the action between Doncic and the organization that ousted him by surprise after six and a half seasons.
“You can imagine how surprised I was,” Doncic said in his introductory press conference with the Lakers. “I had to check if it was April 1. I didn’t really believe it.”
His family was in attendance at Crypto.com Arena as he put on a show against his former teammates. Doncic recorded a triple-double, going for 19 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists in the 107-99 win. The five-time All-NBA star also recorded three steals and two blocks, making him the first player in league history to tally at least five combined steals and blocks in his first game against his former team.
On Wednesday, TNT, which broadcasted the game, revealed that it was a “record-setting” audience, averaging 2.5 million views and peaking at 2.9 million.
Additionally, TNT shared it was “the most watched NBA regular season cable telecast this season (excluding opening night),” the “most watched NBA regular season telecast on Max all time,” and led the night among people aged 18-34, 25-54 and adults under 50.
The Lakers and Mavericks have one more regular-season matchup left on April 9 in Dallas. ESPN will carry the broadcast. If Anthony Davis is healthy, it will be his first chance to face his former team.
This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.
