All-Star ratings climb

The NBA All-Star game drew an average audience of 7.8 million viewers in the US, making it the most-viewed All-Star broadcast since 2013.

Turner Sports announced the numbers on Monday. The number of viewers peaked at 8.5 million and the total audience was up 3 percent from last year’s game.

The hype surrounding the game centered on Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook playing on the Western Conference team together.

Durant left Oklahoma City last summer to join Golden State, leaving his longtime teammate behind. Westbrook did not hide his dissatisfaction with Durant, which ramped up the intrigue heading into Sunday’s game.

The two shared the court for just 81 seconds, and Oklahoma City posted the highest local market rating with a 10.9.