In a season of declining ratings for the NBA, arguably the league’s biggest draw is a lottery team.

Lakers-Sixers scored a 2.4 rating and 3.86 million viewers on ABC’s NBA Sunday Showcase over the weekend, down 17% in ratings and viewership from last year (Cavaliers-Celtics: 2.9, 4.64M), but up 26% and 34% respectively from 2017 (Spurs-Knicks: 1.9, 2.87M).

Despite the drop, the Lakers’ blowout loss delivered the sixth-highest rating and viewership of the NBA season, and the third-highest with Christmas Day games excluded.

The Lakers, who enter the All-Star break under .500 and 2 1/2 games out of the playoffs, have played in seven of the top ten games thus far. Golden State, by comparison, has played in three of the top ten — two of which came against the Lakers.

With the NFL season now over, Sunday’s game ranked as the highest rated and most-watched sporting event of the weekend.

On Saturday night, ABC drew a 1.7 and 2.67 million for Thunder-Rockets — down a tick in ratings and 4% in viewership from last year (Spurs-Warriors: 1.8, 2.78M), and down 50% and 56% respectively from Warriors-Thunder in 2017, which marked Kevin Durant‘s first game in Oklahoma City as an opponent (3.4, 6.04M).

As previously noted, Thunder-Rockets was outdrawn head-to-head by the debut of the Alliance of American Football on CBS.

Going back to last Friday, ESPN drew a 0.9 (+13%) and 1.33 million (+8%) for Nuggets-Sixers and a 0.9 (-10%) and 1.31 million (-12%) for T’Wolves-Pelicans. Last year’s comparable games were Clippers-Pistons (0.8, 1.24M) and T’Wolves-Bulls (1.0, 1.48M), respectively.

Largest NBA audiences of 2018-19 season, thus far

[Numbers from Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily 2.12]