NBA in tough spot on tip-offs

BOSTON -- Responding to concerns the NBA Finals start too late on television to groom a younger generation of fans, Commissioner David Stern said Sunday that "nothing is set in stone" regarding earlier tip-offs.

Stern suggested he would revisit the subject, but it did not sound as if major changes were in the offing for future championship series.

"We wrestle with it because if the idea is to let the largest audience see the game -- including youngsters -- there's no doubt that at 11:30 Eastern, that's when the largest audience is gathered," he said before Game 2.

Stern said he reconsidered the issue after being "excoriated" on a Boston radio show.

"It wouldn't be a terrible thing to have a Sunday night game at 7 o'clock, but our network partners tell us that your ratings will be lower ... and why would you want to have a lower ...