Mike Breen explains the Bang that never was after Cavaliers potential game-winner rimmed out in Game 1

ESPN announcer Mike Breen was ready to drop another legendary call, but the ball had other plans.With just 5.3 seconds left in regulation in a tie game Tuesday night, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill took an open 3-point shot at the top of the key.Many inside Madison Square Garden, including Breen, believed Merrill was about to break Knick fans’ hearts as the ball looked destined for nothing but nylon. But the ball rolled around the rim and fell out, sending Game 1 of Eastern Conference finals to overtime before the Knicks ultimately prevailed 115-104.“I think I got the ‘B’ of ‘Bang!’ out,”  Breen said on Mad Dog Sports radio Wednesday morning.“That’s not the first time that’s happened.

That’s happened a few times, because it looked right on target.” Breen’s iconic “Bang!” catchphrase has been the backdrop to countless iconic NBA moments since the broadcaster began calling games on WFAN and MSG in the early 2000’s. Moments like Luka Doncic’s game-winning 3-pointer over the Clippers in overtime in 2020, Derrick Rose’s 2015 Eastern Conference semifinals Game 3 buzzer-beater and Ray Allen’s Corner 3 against San Antonio in 2013 all received the coveted “Bang!” treatment.But Tuesday night’s half-bang went viral across social media, with Barstool Sports dubbing the moment the first premature “Bang!” While the ball did not go down, that Breen began his legendary catchphrase still emphasized how important Merrill’s shot was to the game’s narrative. “If Merill hits that shot and they win the game, nobody is talking about this great Knicks comeback.Nobody is talking about, ‘Oh, should Kenny Atkinson have called a timeout.‘”’ Nobody is talking about how James Harden really struggled defensively,” Breen said.“It’s, ‘Wow, what a great victory for the Cavs to win game one on the road.'”The narrative seemed to be written even before that shot.The Knicks trailed 93-71 with 7:52 remaining in the fo...