Topping the ratings chart

Bulls-Pacers finale highest-rated non-finals game ever

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Posted: Monday June 01, 1998 09:52 PM

Chicago's title runs have generated five of the seven highest rated finals in history (AP)

NEW YORK (AP) -- The possibility of it being Michael Jordan's final game brought NBC the highest television rating in NBA history for a game not in the finals.

Sunday's Game 7 of the Bulls-Pacers series got a 20.7 overnight rating. (A ratings point represents 980,000 households.) That number is expected to fall slightly below 19 when the national ratings are released Tuesday, but should easily top the 16.3 for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals between New York and Boston in 1973.

"Last night's number was mind-boggling to all of us," NBC Sports president Dick Ebersol said Monday. "It was an awesome surprise to come in this morning and see that number."

NBC is now guaranteed at least one more series with Jordan before the possible breakup of the Bulls' dynasty.

"With the whole story attached to Michael, whether this is his last year, obviously there is a part of everyone here who will be sad to see him go," Ebersol said. "On the other hand, what Indiana accomplished and what Larry Bird accomplished in his first year benefits all of us in the NBA for years to come."

Only three NBA games in history have eclipsed a 20.0 national rating -- Detroit-Los Angeles, Game 7, 1988, 21.2; Chicago-Phoenix, Game 6, 1993, 20.3; and Utah-Chicago, Game 5, 1997, 20.1.

Chicago's title runs have generated five of the seven highest rated finals in history, including the two highest, a 17.9 in 1993 against Phoenix and a 16.8 last year against the Jazz.

NBC's rating Sunday was easily the highest sports rating of the weekend. Fox's opening Saturday baseball coverage got a 3.1 in preliminary national ratings, up 3 percent from last year.

The Detroit-Dallas hockey game Sunday afternoon got a 2.5 overnight, 56 percent higher than the same teams got last weekend when the game went up against the Indianapolis 500 and Game 4 of the Jazz-Lakers series.

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