NBA Finals Game One Earns 10.4 Overnight Nielsen Rating

Celtics' Game One Win Earns 10.4 Overnight Rating

SERIES ALREADY CREATING STORYLINES: ESPN execs were nothing short of giddy following Lakers-Celtics Game One, saying that the series already is creating compelling storylines that should build buzz around the net's telecasts. Speaking from TD Banknorth Garden on Friday morning, ESPN Senior Dir of Programming & Acquisitions Douglas White referenced Celtics F Paul Pierce's knee injury and dramatic return as a case-in-point. "That kind of drama makes these games so special. You can't script that kind of thing." Though ESPN/ABC is not approaching this series any differently than last year's Spurs-Cavaliers Finals with regard to the game productions, White said ESPN/ABC would continue to focus more on the history between the Celtics and Lakers and highlight the two teams as much as individual players. "We want to make sure we highlight the great players of today," White said. "But we like to focus more on the teams. The Lakers and Celtics are timeless brands" (John Ourand, THE DAILY).

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