ABC scores ratings win with pro basketball

Basketball did for ABC what its regular programming can’t — lead the network to the top of the Nielsen Media Research rankings.

Three games of the National Basketball Associations finals between the Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Lakers were easily last week’s three most-watched prime-time programs.

In an indication that viewers are starting to flee for the summer, “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” was the most-watched scripted show last week with only 13.8 million viewers. That’s about half what the CBS drama gets for first-run episodes.

The premiere of Fox’s “The Jury” on June 8 had only 4.2 million viewers.

For the week ending Sunday, ABC averaged 8.6 million viewers, while CBS had 8.4 million (both 5.7 ratings, 10 shares), followed by NBC, 7.3 million (4.9, 9); Fox, 4.4 million (2.9, 5); UPN, 2.8 million (1.8, 3); and the WB, 2.4 million (1.7, 3).

A ratings point represents 1,084,000 households, or 1 percent of the nation’s estimated 108.4 million TV homes. The share is the percentage of in-use televisions tuned to a given show.

The top 10 shows: NBA Finals, Game 4: L.A. Lakers at Detroit, ABC, 20.3 million viewers; NBA Finals, Game 3: L.A. Lakers at Detroit, ABC, 16.2 million; NBA Finals, Game 2: Detroit at L.A. Lakers, ABC, 16.1 million; “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” CBS, 13.8 million; “Without a Trace,” CBS, 13.3 million; “Everybody Loves Raymond,” CBS, 13.2 million; “Two and a Half Men,” CBS, 12.6 million; “CSI: Miami,” CBS, 12.1 million; “Law & Order: SVU,” NBC, 11.3 million; “Cold Case,” CBS, 11.2 million.