TV viewership for NBA Christmas games up 84% from last year

The NBA's television ratings have been a source of consternation this season, but the league cooked up some Christmas magic on Wednesday.

The NBA's five-game Christmas Day slate earned its best ratings in five years at an average of 5.25 million viewers, which represented an 84 percent jump from last season.

The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors 115-113 in an instant classic, and on Thursday the league said that game was its most-watched regular-season game and Christmas game in five years, with a 7.76 million average and a peak of 8.32 million viewers.

LeBron James scored 31 points and had 10 assists for the victorious Lakers, while star counterpart Stephen Curry tied a Christmas Day record by bombing in eight 3-pointers, including one to tie the game with 7.6 seconds left. Los Angeles' Austin Reaves answered with the game-winning layup that capped a triple-double performance (26 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists).

The lineup also featured the New York Knicks beating the San Antonio Spurs (4.91 million viewer average), the Minnesota Timberwolves topping the Dallas Mavericks (4.38 million), the Philadelphia 76ers upsetting the Boston Celtics (5.16 million) and the Phoenix Suns fending off the Denver Nuggets (3.84 million).

The NBA said Nuggets-Suns was the most-watched Christmas game in the late window ever (10:30 p.m. ET start).

The viewership uptick came despite the NFL putting a pair of games on Netflix in the afternoon. The NFL often has at least one game on Christmas, but it was its first time doing so on a Wednesday, when football isn't typically played. — Field Level Media/Reuters