Superstar matchup helps Mavericks-Cavaliers game draw big TV rating

The matchup of Dirk Nowitzki’s Dallas Mavericks and LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers was a big TV hit Tuesday night, according to Nielsen media research.

And not just because it was an overtime thriller, won by the Cavaliers 110-107.

The game featured two of the NBA’s biggest stars in Nowizki and James. James finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Nowitzki had 17 points and 11 rebounds. At different points in the game, they went head-to-head on the court.

FOX Sports Southwest’s telecast scored a season-high 3.1 rating in the Dallas-Fort Worth market. It was the highest-rated Mavericks telecast on FOX Sports Southwest since the March 16, 2015 game against Oklahoma City posted a 3.6 rating.

The game was seen in an average of 82,000 TV homes in DFW.

Through seven games played in 2016, the Mavericks are averaging a 1.9 rating, an 18 percent gain over the rating for the first two-plus months of the season.

The Mavericks (22-17) play at Oklahoma City tonight and visit rival San Antonio Sunday.

This story was originally published January 13, 2016 at 5:23 PM with the headline "Superstar matchup helps Mavericks-Cavaliers game draw big TV rating."