ABC earned a 10.2 overnight rating for last night's Spurs-Heat NBA Finals Game 2 from 8:00-10:30pm ET, down 14% from an 11.8 overnight for Heat-Thunder Game 2 last year, which aired on a Thursday night. The game is also down from a 10.5 for Mavericks-Heat Game 2 in '11, which also aired on a Thursday night. Spurs-Heat Game 2 is also the lowest overnight for an NBA Finals game since Lakers-Magic Game 5 in '09. Despite the drop, ABC is expected to win primetime for the 32nd consecutive time that an NBA Finals game has aired on the net. Last night's telecast peaked at an 11.7 rating from 9:45-10:00pm. Due to a shorter game, the net had a nearly 30-minute postgame show from 10:30-11:00pm, which earned a 9.5 overnight. Last night's Game 2 earned a 32.7 local rating in San Antonio and a 29.7 rating in Miami-Ft. Lauderdale (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).
IT'S A SMALL WORLD: In Ft. Lauderdale, Doreen Hemlock notes the '13 Finals "are the most global ever," as 10 players on the two participating teams "come from outside the continental United States." That has resulted in more than 310 members of the int'l media "covering the event" this year. The Heat's Facebook followers "show that global reach" as more than half of the team's 8.1 million Facebook friends -- "nearly 4.5 million -- come from outside the U.S." The largest overseas group "hails from the Philippines" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 6/10).
A MOMENT OF ZEN? In N.Y., Bob Raissman pondered the possibility of ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy returning to coaching next season and asked, "Where does ESPN brass go to replace him?" There is "only one guy who brings the total package -- buzz, ultimate credibility and respect, fearlessness, and an impeccable resume of success -- Phil Jackson." Would his "ZenNess even want to become the NBA's premiere TV analyst?" Raissman: "Can't answer that question" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/9).
