‘Truly Baffling’: TNT’s Reggie Miller Roasted for Suggesting Lakers Should Miss Game-Clinching Free Throw On Purpose

Ahmad Austin Jr.Apr 17th, 2024, 10:03 am
 

TNT analyst Reggie Miller became the target of the internet’s wrath when he suggested the Lakers should intentionally miss a free throw that would clinch the game Tuesday.

The Lakers took on the New Orleans Pelicans in a play-in game, with the winner clinching the seventh seed to face the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs. Late in the fourth quarter, the Lakers held a two-point lead. When center Anthony Davis was intentionally fouled with less than three seconds left, Miller floated the idea of Davis missing the second free throw. His reasoning was based on the fact that the Pelicans were out of timeouts and had to go down the length of the court to get a shot up.

“Here’s things that you talk about on the bus as players,” Miller said during the broadcast. “If he makes the first one, you’re up three. Do you try to purposely miss the second one knowing that they don’t have any timeouts and they’ve gotta go coast-to-coast? Because, as soon as you miss it, time is going to start as soon as it’s touched. Or do you just make them both, be up four, and game over?”

Miller essentially answered his own question when he revealed the game would be over if Davis made both free throws. With the Lakers up four points, the Pelicans would have had to immediately make a 3-pointer and then intentionally foul someone once again. Then, the Pelicans would have to hope the player missed at least one free throw. If that somehow happened, the team would have to go the length of the court once again and attempt a game-tying 3-pointer.

In short, the Pelicans’ chances of coming back a four-point lead with 2.7 seconds left were virtually nonexistent.

The internet promptly roasted Miller for the questionable idea.

Watch above via TNT

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