Posted Jun 13 2011 2:03PM
NEW YORK (AP) -- The Dallas Mavericks' clinching victory in the NBA finals earned the highest preliminary television rating for a Game 6 in 11 years.
The Mavericks' 105-95 win over the Miami Heat on Sunday on ABC drew a 15.0 overnight rating. That's the best for a Game 6 since 2000, when the Lakers clinched a title over the Pacers. There had been five series since that went at least six games.
The rating was up 35 percent from Game 6 of the 2006 finals between the same teams, when the Heat clinched a championship. It was up 22 percent from last year's Game 6, when the Lakers routed the Celtics to force Game 7.
It was the third-highest rating since ABC began televising the finals in 2003, behind last year's Game 7 (18.2) and Game 5 of the 2004 NBA finals (15.5 for Lakers-Pistons).
The game drew a 39.8 in Dallas and a 36.2 in Miami.
Ratings represent the percentage of all homes with televisions tuned into a program. Overnight ratings measure the country's largest markets.
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