The Dodgers superstar and Mamiko Tanaka left their adorable pup, Decoy, at home for a date night at Crypto.com Arena ... and with LeBron James out for the contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Shohei provided plenty of star power.

The 30-year-old and his former hooper bae had great seats for the Purple and Gold's 107-98 victory ... and at one point in the night, they were shown on the scoreboard to a massive ovation.

In fact, the two were in mid-convo when Ohtani noticed they were being broadcast on the screen to their fellow spectators ... and they both seemed shy as they covered their faces a bit.

The couple was given the VIP treatment during the outing ... getting gifted custom Lakers jerseys with their names printed on the back.

Of course, Ohtani was knocked off the top of the mountain that night ... as Juan Soto reportedly agreed to a 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets -- surpassing the Japanese sensation's previous deal of 10 years and $700 million to become the richest contract in MLB history.

Lakers forward Rui Hachimura said after the game he didn't get to hang out with Ohtani before the game ... but admitted his fellow Japan native's success with L.A. has sparked motivation for him to succeed on the court.

It seemed to be true ... 'cause Hachimura had 23 points on the night, helping the home team get the dub.