Mike Breen was forced to hit the eject button on his “bang” call late in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavs had possession with the game tied at 101 in the closing seconds of regulation at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, N.Y. The Knicks double-teamed James Harden with about five ticks left on the clock, forcing the former MVP to find Sam Merrill open for a wide-open shot from the top of the key.
With Merrill being the Cavaliers’ best spot-up shooter, most spectators, including Breen, expected the shot to go down. Breen loaded up his signature “bang” call and had to pull back as Merrill’s shot rolled halfway down and out.
SAM MERRILL ALMOST HIT THE GAME WINNER
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 20, 2026
Mike Breen almost said “bang”. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/HWxBma8Z89
The veteran announcer, fittingly, only got through half the word before cutting the call short as the game went to overtime.
Merrill’s shot could have salvaged a mess of a fourth quarter for the Cavaliers, who let a 22-point lead slip away in the final period. Instead, New York rode the momentum of the comeback to clobber Cleveland in overtime.
The Knicks came away with a 115-104 win in Game 1 thanks to the heroics of Jalen Brunson, who scored 15 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter to will his team back from the dead.
Brunson did not earn himself a “bang,” but probably won over a few thousand mayoral votes if he ever wanted to run New York City officially.
