Sports media’s No. 1 Knicks fan had it with the TNT broadcast Wednesday night.
ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins, who backs the Knicks like he played for them, did not appreciate the focus on analyst Reggie Miller’s Knicks history versus talk of Jalen Brunson’s status during Game 2.
“Are we going to make this entire game about Reggie Miller? Or can I know if Big Body Brunson is going to return or not,” Perkins tweeted. “Jesus Christ.”
TNT added Miller to its broadcast team for Wednesday’s matchup at Madison Square Garden, leaning into Miller’s heated rivalry with the Knicks from his playing days.
The regular broadcasting duo of Brian Anderson and Stan Van Gundy obviously leaned into that to add some flavor to the game, but Brunson’s injury made it a delicate situation.
Whether the Knicks’ best player could return or not was a huge storyline, since it would have profound implications on both Game 2 and the remainder of the series.
But there are some tricky elements in play.
The game was still ongoing as Brunson missed the entire second quarter and the broadcast crew has to still call the fast-paced game going on in front of them.
A lack of an injury update until late in the second quarter also affects whether the crew can do a full dive into the injury since the rest would be speculation.
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That being said, there is a fine balance to the act and focusing on Miller’s playing days, which ended in 2004-05, is probably not the best approach.
FS1’s Nick Wright agreed with Perkins’ sentiment.
“Maybe a little less Reggie/highlights from decades ago and a little more details on where/how/when Brunson could have hurt his foot??” Wright posted. “How is this not the entire broadcast right now???”
The series now shifts to Indianapolis for Game 3 with the Knicks leading the series, 2-0.
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