Mike Breen opens up about rare double 'bang' call in Knicks win

sports entertainment

by Matt Ehardt

Mike Breen doesn't plan when he'll use his iconic “Bang!” call, or the rare and even more iconic double “Bang!” exclamation.

It's a natural reaction based on emotion, said the Knicks voice and ESPN NBA play-by-play chief, and was triggered by watching great moments and scenes unfold that captivated both him and the television audience. .

Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo's game-winning 3-pointer miraculously led to a 104-101 victory over the 76ers in a highly contested game Monday in the Knicks' 2-0 Game 2 win in the first round of the NBA playoff series. It was a moment like that.

The sequence earned Breen the sixth double “bang” call of his Hall of Fame career.

“Three or four specific things had to happen, and they did. So when he hit that shot and the crowd went wild, that's what happened,” said MSG's game caller. Breen told the Post in a phone interview Wednesday. .

“It wasn't even thought of, it was just such a great play coming out in this extraordinary sequence of such a huge playoff game.”

Great sports moments are enhanced by great announcers delivering iconic calls, and Breen's “bang” catchphrase is part of the NBA lexicon.

And the moment he lets out a “bang!”, there is a divine atmosphere. Burn! ” Phone.

Breen, who recalled all five previous uses, first used it in 2016 when Stephen Curry tied the NBA record for the game-winning 3-pointer with his 12th made from deep. .

Then, in the 2019 game against the Lakers, Eric Gordon made the game-tying 3-pointer, in the 2020 playoffs Luka Doncic made the game-winning 3-pointer over the Clippers, and on opening night in 2020 against the Knicks. Marcus Smart made a 3-point shot to tie the game. He was used for the only time in the opening game of the 2021-22 season against the Knicks.

The last time it was used before Monday was in 2023 when Julius Randle scored a miraculous 3-point game to beat the Heat.

Breen's call will forever be attached to the Knicks' greatest win of all time.

Following a steal with the Knicks trailing by two points with 20 seconds left, DiVincenzo made a 3-pointer to give the Knicks a 102-101 lead.

“DiVincenzo, three, bang! Bang!” Breen yelled.

Breen, who has been to several great moments at Madison Square Garden, said Monday was one of the loudest crowds he's experienced.

“That will be one of my favorite moments,” Breen said. “There's something special about this team. It's not just a group of individual players, it's truly a team, so it was a lot of fun.

“The Knicks have been through some tough times, but to have a team this exciting, there's no fan base in the world more deserving of a team like this than Knicks fans. …I'm a lifelong New Yorker, so I can't be too objective. But there's no better sound in sports than the roar at Madison Square Garden. It's all about how stuck the fans are with their team and what they've given them, especially when it comes to their moments. It was very satisfying.”

The Knicks voice called it an “incredible honor” for fans to treat his double “bang” with such prestige.

“You want to give the big moments their due and give the play the call it deserves,” Breen said. “If the players weren't making these extraordinary plays, I wouldn't be yelling 'bang' or double 'bang.' We are very happy to hear that you enjoyed the call.”

Breen will return to the microphone at MSG for Thursday's Game 3, and will join Walt “Clyde” Frazier on the station for all remaining games except for Sunday's Game 4, which will be broadcast on ABC.

For Breen, being able to use the realm of the prestigious double “Bun” was even more meaningful as it was associated with his childhood team.

“Whether it was on national television or MSG, it wouldn't have changed what we called this moment,” said Breen, a Fordham graduate. “To do it for the Knicks fans, to do it with Clyde next to me and this crew, the ups and downs we’ve been through together, it’s so much fun.

“That night, in the car on the way home, we were texting each other to say how happy we were to have this moment together. This crew is like a family, and that made it a little bit more special.” .”