Lakers-Warriors series is meeting of NBA's TV heavyweights

A standout game on the infographic was ABC's March 5 broadcast of the Lakers' 113-105 win over the Dubs. It was ABC's most watched telecast of a Lakers team without LeBron James since 2019. James sat out due to a foot injury suffered nearly two weeks before the star-studded matchup.

Despite their lower seeds (and the Lakers once again needing the play-in tournament to make the playoffs), the two teams continue to be strong draws for the league this postseason. According to Sports Media Watch, Steph Curry's 50-point masterpiece in Game 7 of the Western quarterfinals against the Sacramento Kings made that the most watched first-round game since 1999. The Lakers keep rolling as well, with their Game 6 series clincher over the Memphis Grizzlies providing ESPN's third-best first-round numbers ever.

What's also remarkable about these ratings is that the games are played while millions of people in the East are getting ready for bed. The start times out West may be at 7 p.m., but for the more populous Central and Eastern time zones, the games start at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., respectively (sometimes even later). 

Surely, ESPN and ABC would prefer if these teams squared off in the Western Conference Finals later this month on their networks. Yet the possibility of either team making a run to the Finals could be all the more reason why the NBA has finally adjusted the start times for the championship series to keep as many fans east of the Mississippi tuned in as possible.