The NBA's return to NBC with a doubleheader on Tuesday night averaged 5.61 million viewers, marking the most-watched October opening night in 15 years.

Tuesday's NBA nightcap tips off with the Los Angeles Lakers hosting the Golden State Warriors. NBA season schedule, start time and where to watch.

After that, Lakers superstar Luka Doncic put on a show with 43 points (17-27 FG, 2-10 3-point), 12 rebounds, nine assists, two steals and one block over 41 minutes against the Warriors with LeBron James (sciatica) out.

The last NBA tip-off doubleheader with a larger average audience came in Oct. 2010, helped by the Heat's 88–80 loss to the Celtics in the first game of the "Big Three" era. These figures come with the caveat that Nielsen has overhauled its data gathering processes this year.

The NBA season-opening game tips off with the Oklahoma City Thunder hosting the Houston Rockets Tuesday. NBA season schedule, start time and where to watch.

Kevin Durant will make his Houston Rockets debut against the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder, with whom Durant started his 15-time All-Star career. A new and improved Luka Dončić is embarking on his first full season with the Los Angeles Lakers against a Golden State Warriors team that's equipped with an aging but championship-hungry trio of Stephen Curry,

Kevin Durant impressed in his Houston Rockets debut with 23 points, nine rebounds, and three assists, dismissing boos from OKC fans as “all love.”

After the Warriors' 119-109 opening night win against the Lakers on Tuesday, ESPN reporter Anthony Slater asked Butler what he wants his free-throw percentage to be this season. The 36-year-old forward smiled and said he wants to be better than Steph Curry.