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Mike Breen Explains Double 'BANG!' During Knicks Miracle
The "extraordinary" ending of the New York Knicks' latest playoff victory led longtime play-by-play man Mike Breen to offer a double dose of his iconic call.
One could hardly hear it, but Mike Breen offered rare history as the New York Knicks placed the finishing touches upon one of the most thrilling NBA postseason finishes in recent memory on Monday night.
When Donte DiVincenzo's fateful three-pointer fell through to give the Knicks a permanent lead in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Philadelphia 76ers, Breen, calling a local broadcast of the game for MSG Network, heralded the heroics with a double dose of his trademark call "Bang!"
While Breen is well-known for his "Bang!" calls, it's rare for him to spout off two in a row. According to an X post from the NBA, Breen has done so on only six prior occasions. DiVincenzo is the second Knick to receive the honor (joining Julius Randle for his buzzer-beating winner in Miami last season) and the first to earn it in the postseason.
Apr 22, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) celebrates with
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Speaking with Matt Ehalt of the New York Post, Breen said the improbability of Monday's win ... which saw the Knicks churn out eight points in 20 seconds to turn a late five-point deficit into a 104-101 victory ... made such a verbal phenomenon necessary.
“Three or four specific things had to happen and they did," Breen said. "So when he hit that shot and the crowd went crazy, it just came out. It’s not something that was thought of, it just came out for such a spectacular play during this extraordinary sequence in such a huge playoff game.”
The Knicks have had a role in each of the last three "double bangs:" in addition to Randle and DiVincenzo, Breen deployed it when on he was the national call for New York's 2021-22 season opener, though then-Boston Celtic Marcus Smart was the recipient when he hit a buzzer-beating equalizer to force the first of two overtime periods (the Knicks won the game 138-134).
Though nationally renowned for his work on ESPN/ABC (which has allowed him to narrate the last 18 editions ofthe NBA Finals), Breen continues to serve as the Knicks' primary television voice next to franchise legend and color commentator Walt "Clyde" Frazier. Getting to call the Game 2 on MSG airwaves, especialy alongside his longtime broadcasting partner Frazier, made the moment even more special for Breen.
“To do that for Knicks fans, to do it with Clyde next to me and with this crew, the ups and downs we’ve experienced together, we just have so much fun," Breen said. "We were texting on the ride home that night that we’re so glad we had this moment together, this crew is like a family, and that made it mean a little bit extra.”
Breen called Game 1 of the series for ESPN and was replaced by Gus Johnson on MSG. Though ABC is set to exclusively carry Game 4 on Sunday (where Breen could be back on he mike alongside Doris Burke and JJ Redick), he will have MSG's call for the third game on Thursday night (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG/TNT) as well as the fifth, sixth, and seventh games ... if they're necessary, of course. After DiVincenzo's winner, the Knicks own a 2-0 series lead on the 76ers in the best-of-seven set.
Jan 31, 2021; New York, New York, USA; Television broadcasters Mike Breen and Walt Frazier broadcast
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Having held the role of the Knicks' top televison voice since 2004-05, Breen has worked through plenty of banal basketball to witness the antics of this current group. The DiVincenzo incident stands as one of his "favorite moments" and Breen implied that this Knicks team is one of the best, if not the best, he has covered.
“The Knicks have gone through hard stretches and to have a team this exciting, there’s no fan base in the world that deserves a team like this like Knicks fans," he said. "I’m a lifetime New Yorker, so not the most objective, but there’s no better sound in sports than a roar at Madison Square Garden. That all comes into play, how fans have stuck with the team, and to let them have that moment made it especially satisfying.”
