NEW YORK (AP) - The Dallas Mavericks’ clinching victory in the NBA finals earned the highest preliminary television rating for a Game 6 in 11 years.
The Mavericks’ 105-95 win over the Miami Heat on Sunday on ABC drew a 15.0 overnight rating. That’s the best for a Game 6 since 2000, when the Lakers clinched a title over the Pacers. There had been five series since that went at least six games.
The rating was up 35 percent from Game 6 of the 2006 finals between the same teams, when the Heat clinched a championship. It was up 22 percent from last year’s Game 6, when the Lakers routed the Celtics to force Game 7.
It was the third highest rating since ABC began televising the finals in 2003, behind last year’s Game 7 (18.2) and Game 5 of the 2004 NBA finals (15.5 for Lakers-Pistons).
The game drew a 39.8 in Dallas and a 36.2 in Miami.
Ratings represent the percentage of all homes with televisions tuned into a program. Overnight ratings measure the country’s largest markets.
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