The first half of Sunday’s Game 7 between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks belonged to the Pacers. Yet Bob Myers, who was in the studio for the halftime show of the ESPN on ABC broadcast, wanted to talk about the Knicks — even when prompted to do otherwise.
Indiana set a Game 7 record, scoring 39 points in the first quarter. The Pacers continued to control the game in the second quarter and took a 70-55 lead at halftime.
For the halftime show, host Malika Andrews asked Myers, “What stood out to you for the Pacers?”
“Well, starting with OG couldn’t go,” Myers said, referencing Knicks forward OG Anunoby, who attempted to play through an injury but managed only five minutes before leaving the game.
To be fair, while Anunoby plays for the Knicks, his absence could have something to do with what stood out for the Pacers. And if Myers had focused on what Indiana did to exploit Anunoby’s absence, this wouldn’t have been notable. That, however, is not what he did.
“It happened a long time ago, it feels like,” Myers continued. “But I think a lot of people expected him to be a difference-maker in this game. And so, psychologically, you think you’re whole. And then four minutes into the game, I think we all realized, great try by OG. You applaud the effort. But he didn’t have it. So now the Knicks have to come back to the huddle and say, ‘OK. He’s not gonna be here for us this afternoon. So now what are we gonna do?'”
Of course, it’s not uncommon for a player or coach to answer a question with a different talking point than the question pertained to. The difference there is, those players and coaches aren’t part of the broadcast team. Furthermore, given that the pregame show was already criticized for being too New York (and specifically, New York fan) centric, asking a question about the Pacers by talking about the Knicks isn’t going to do anything to dispel that notion.
[Photo Credit: ESPN on ABC]
