Google Trends: National Basketball Association
Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Lakers
View the interactive chart here.
The National Basketball 2020–21 Season (NBA) is well under way as teams continue to push towards earning a spot in the NBA playoffs that will take place May 22-July 22, 2021. Many people have begun to place bets on which teams they think will make it to the playoffs and into the finals.
The current leading teams are the Brooklyn Nets (22–13), Utah Jazz (27,7), Los Angeles Lakers (24–11), Los Angeles Clippers (24,12) and the Phoenix Suns (22–11). Of these top five teams leading the 2020–21 year, the Los Angeles Lakers are the only ones to hold a championship.
According to an analysis of Google search data, when looking at search results from the past seven dates between the Lakers and the Suns, it is interesting to note that the Suns averaged 12 results a day compared to the Lakers 10 search results.
Spikes in search results take place on February 24,26,28 and March 2, all taking place between 9p and 11p. On these days during these search spike surges’, the teams were still playing or had just finished playing:
February 24:
Peak search time for the Suns: 10:00 p.m., 65 searches
Peak search time for the Lakers: 11:00 p.m., 38 searches
Game results:
Suns-lost to Charlotte, 124–121
Lakers- lost to Utah, 114–89
February 26:
Peak search time for the Suns: 9:00 p.m., 35 searches
Peak search time for the Lakers: 11:00 p.m., 39 searches
Game results:
Suns-won against Bulls, 106–97
Lakers- won against Portland, 102–93
February 28:
Peak search time for the Suns: 10:00 p.m., 47 searches
Peak search time for the Lakers: 9:00 p.m., 29 searches
Game results:
Suns- won against Minnesota, 118–99
Lakers- won against Golden State, 117–91
March 2:
Peak search time for the Suns: 11:00 p.m., 100 searches
Peak search time for the Lakers: 11:00 p.m., 40 searches
Game results:
Suns-Won against Lakers, 114–104
Lakers- lost to Suns, 114–104
Although the Lakers are leading ahead of the Suns in the 2020–21 season thus far, based off the Google search trends it seems the Suns maybe be an up and coming favorite, especially after their win against the Lakers on March 2nd.
Google Trends: Trump Remains in Media Spotlight
Donald Trump has continued to receive more than double the amount in searches even after end of Presidency, most days.
View the interactive chart here.
According to an analysis of Google search data, it is evident that even after Donald Trump left office in mid-January, he has remained the center of many conversations and Google searches. Examining trends between Donald Trump, Joseph (Joe) Biden and Kamala Harris from the past 90 days, most days Donald Trump has surpassed Harris and Biden: even after leaving office well over a month and a half ago.
When the attacks and riots broke out on the 6th of January at the U.S. Capitol, search results skyrocketed from an average of 12 search for Trump to over 50 searches and remained so for many days following the riots. Although Trump’s results climbed quickly, Harris and Biden’s results remained relatively similar in trend with just a small peak.
It was not until the 19th of the January, the day before Biden and Harris were to be sworn in as President and Vice President, that their results surpassed Trump. On January 20,2021 Biden held the highest count at 100, followed by his Vice President Harris at 85 and then Trump at 44. As the days continue to pass their peak slowly began to fall, closing the interest gaps between Biden, Harris and Trump.
Although Harris and Biden were leading in interest immediately following their swearing in, it was short lived. As February began, Biden, Harris and Trump all began to have very similar low results. There is a slight increase in trend interest for Trump starting for February 10 through the 15. This is likely due to Trump’s second impeachment trial which was held on February 14.
Immediately after the trial was over, trump’s trend rates dropped and were right alongside Harris and Biden until the February 28 when Trump made a keynote speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) calling for unity amongst the Republican party and hinting towards running again for President in 2024.
