NBA Finals rebound well

0 Comments | USA TODAY, June, 2008 | by Gary Levin

*Hoops. The opening games of ABC's NBA Finals (Boston vs. Los Angeles) averaged 13.4 million viewers Thursday and 13.5 million Sunday. That was up sharply from last year and the best showing in the early going since 2004, when the Lakers last appeared in the championship.

*Pucks. NBC's NHL Stanley Cup (Detroit vs. Pittsburgh) finale drew 6.8 million viewers for Wednesday's decisive sixth game, more than doubling last year's finish. The championship series, shared by Versus and NBC, averaged 4.6 million viewers, up from 1.8 million last year for its biggest total since 2002.

*Burrowed Mole. The return of ABC's hibernating reality series The Mole (4.7 million Monday), its first season since winter 2004, marked a series low.

*Dueling dramas. The...