With “America’s Got Talent,” NBC got a pulse this summer. The network, which suffered through a tough spring, got a second strong outing from returning reality show “Talent” last night to secure a rare nightly victory.

“Talent” averaged a 3.9 adults 18-49 rating last night, according to Nielsen overnights, down 9 percent from last week’s 4.3 for its debut but still easily the night’s top show.

Last night’s two-hour “Talent” began at 8 p.m., which may have accounted for some of the dropoff; last week in its debut, the show started at 9 p.m., so viewers may have tuned in late for the second episode.

“Talent’s” rating rose 23 percent from its first half to its second half last night, from a 3.5 to a 4.3, despite airing opposite ABC’s NBA Finals Game 3.

Among total viewers, the show drew 11.9 million, about 1 million fewer than the previous week. Still, “Talent” will be among the week’s top draws in both 18-49s and total viewers, and that’s a valuable thing in a summer where shows like Fox’s “On the Lot,” CBS’s “Creature Comforts” and ABC’s “Fast Cars & Superstars: The Young Guns Celebrity Race” have produced shockingly low ratings.

NBC finished first for the night among 18-49s with a 3.5 average overnight rating and an 11 share. ABC was second at 2.8/8, CBS third at 2.0/6, Univision fourth at 1.8/5, Fox fifth at 1.7/5 and CW sixth at 0.6/2.

As a reminder, fast nationals measure timeslot data, not live program data, so overnights for last night’s NBA game coverage may not be accurate. ABC’s ratings will adjust later today when final ratings are released.
 
At 8 p.m. NBC led with a 3.5 among 18-49s for its first hour of “America’s Got Talent,” with CBS second with a 2.2 for a repeat of “NCIS.” ABC was third that hour with a 1.9 average for “Fast Cars” (1.8) and NBA pregame (1.9), Univision fourth with a 1.7 for “La Fea Mas Bella,” Fox fifth with a 1.2 for “Lot” and CW sixth with a 0.6 for a “Gilmore Girls” rerun.
 
NBC led again at 9 p.m. with a 4.3 for its second half of “Talent,” while ABC moved up to second with a 3.0 for its first hour of the NBA Finals game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs. Fox was third with a 2.2 for a repeat of “House,” Univision fourth with a 2.0 for “Destilando Amor,” CBS fifth with a 1.8 for a repeat of “The Unit” and CW sixth with a 0.5 for a “Veronica Mars” repeat.
 
ABC took over at 10 p.m. with a 3.4 for basketball, with NBC second with a 2.6 for a repeat of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” CBS third with a 2.1 for “48 Hours Mystery” and Univision fourth with a 1.6 for “Ver para Creer.”
 
NBC also finished first for the night among households with a 7.0 average rating and a 12 share. CBS was second at 5.4/9, ABC third at 4.8/8, Fox fourth at 3.0/5, Univision fifth at 2.0/4 and the CW sixth at 1.1/2.