1. It’s not a good sign when I feel like I’m watching a totally different game than the analyst calling the game.

That was the case on Monday during Game 1 of the Knicks-Celtics series on TNT when Reggie Miller repeatedly left me baffled.

On this play, Miller said, “everyone is concentrating on Brunson.”

There was one Celtic player covering Jalen Brunson.

Miller was also in stunned disbelief that Brunson missed a floater late in the fourth quarter that would’ve given New York a win. Miller said Brunson couldn’t have asked for a better shot.

There were two Celtics defenders in front of him and it was a running one-hander a few feet from the basket. Miller kept analyzing the play as if Brunson was all alone for a layup. It was far from a gimmie.

Miller’s worst moment, though, came with just a few seconds remaining in overtime when he said the Knicks, up three, had fouled Jaylen Brown in the motion of shooting to give him three free throws. It wasn’t even close to a shooting foul and the New York defender clearly pushed Brown before he went into his shooting motion. Getting a call this wrong with just seconds left in the game is just bad.

Miller, who has been hired to be NBC’s lead analyst next season, often seemed to say something wrong and then clean it up after the fact, which makes for a terrible viewing experience.

Hopefully he can clean things up for Game 2 on Wednesday.

2. Nuggets radio voice, Jason Kosmicki, had a great call on Aaron Gordon’s game-winning three-pointer Monday night that gave the Denver Nuggets a Game 1 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

3. According to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, NBC will feature AI-generated voiceovers on its NBA coverage next season.

Jim Fagan, who did the voiceovers for NBC when the network aired the NBA in the ‘90s, passed away in 2017. For some reason, NBC is going to use an AI version of Fagan when it begins airing the NBA later this season.

I don’t understand NBC’s obsession with AI. They used an AI version of Al Michaels for the Olympics last year. I‘m all for nostalgia, but just use an actual living human being to do the voiceover work. The AI stuff is just creepy.

4. The Inside the NBA crew participated in a spelling bee last night, which did not work out well for Shaq thanks to a shrewd move by Ernie Johnson.

5. Bill Belichick will momentarily take a back seat when it comes to horrible PR thanks to the Ravens. Baltimore put out one of the more absurd statements you’ll ever see on Monday when it announced they had released kicker Justin Tucker because of the team’s “current roster.”

Tucker has been accused of sexual misconduct by 16 women.

6. This week’s SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast features a conversation with the Ringer’s editor-at-large Bryan Curtis.

Topics covered with Curtis, who also hosts The Press Box podcast, include the reaction to Mel Kiper Jr.’s Shedeur Sanders comments during the NFL draft, ESPN’s draft coverage and decisions on which talent to use and not use on air.

Also discussed with Curtis is Bill Belichick’s disastrous CBS Sunday Morning interview, the coach’s book tour and which interviewer would have the guts to ask Belichick tough questions.

Other topics include Shannon Sharpe taking a leave from ESPN, TNT using remote broadcasters for NHL playoff games, Aaron Rodgers’s future in broadcasting, Amazon’s NBA hires and a surreal moment on 60 Minutes.

Following Curtis, Sal Licata from WFAN radio and SNY TV in New York joins me for our weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment. This week, we discuss WrestleMania 41, terrible betting losses and how to sell a baseball card collection.

You can listen to the SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast below or on Apple and Spotify.

You can also watch SI Media With Jimmy Traina on Sports Illustrated‘s YouTube channel.

7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: Happy 64th birthday to George Clooney.

Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on X and Instagram.


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Reggie Miller Had a Rough Fourth Quarter and Overtime in Knicks’ Upset Over Celtics.

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