What Would Draw Triple 'Bang' From Knicks' Mike Breen?
Those seeking literal "Bang!" for their bucks, particularly fans of the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers, certainly found what they were looking for on Friday night.
The final minute of Game 3 between the Knicks and Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals had longtime New York play-by-play Mike Breen in rare form as he fulfilled his duties for the ESPN broadcast: an equalizing triple from Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson drew a double "Bang!" from Breen, offering a rare batch of consecutive doses of his beloved catchphrase.
Alas for New York, another verbal explosion awaited on the other end, as Andrew Nembhard responded with a three-pointer of his own for the hosting Pacers, one that proved to provide the winning margin in an eventual 111-106 victory that narrowed the Knicks' series lead for 2-1. Nembhard only got a single bang ... but three points.
There is one occasion where Breen, the Knicks' primary local broadcaster alongside Walt "Clyde" Frazier on MSG Network since 2004, would be willing to offer three "Bang!" calls, a cause revealed by veteran sports writer and former ESPN colleague Pablo Torre in the midst of Friday's thriller.
"I once asked Mike Breen what it would take for him to triple-BANG. He told me he’s never done it," Torre said on X. "It would only happen 'if the Knicks ever make it into the NBA Finals.'"
I once asked Mike Breen what it would take for him to triple-BANG.
— ‘Miserable’ Pablo Torre 🕳️ (@PabloTorre) May 11, 2024
He told me he’s never done it.
And that it would only happen “if the Knicks ever make it into the NBA Finals”
Both Breen and Knicks fans have certainly been patient for such a call: the Knicks' last championship came in 1973, when a 12-year-old Breen was attending St. Paul the Apostle Elementary School in Yonkers. Breen has held play-by-play duties for every NBA Finals since 2006 but the Knicks' last appearance came back in 1999 when Bob Costas was on the mic for NBC.
The excitable Breen, well-regarded for his joint duties with ESPN and MSG, only gets truly trigger-happy for the biggest occasions, though the Knicks have gotten a double-bang twice this postseason: Donte DiVincenzo earned the honor for his game-winner in the Game 2 first-round victory over Philadelphia on MSG airwaves.
As it stands, the Knicks are only six wins away from Breen history, and there's a chance he'll be on the call for the next part of the countdown: Breen and the primary ESPN team (joined by Doris Burke and JJ Redick) will narrate Sunday's Game 4 in Indianapolis (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC).
GEOFF MAGLIOCCHETTI
Editor-In-Chief at All Knicks