TNT analyst Reggie Miller suggested that the Lakers might want to miss a free throw that would have put them up four points and ended the game. Photo Credit: TNT Photo Credit: TNT
By Robert O'Neill on

The Los Angeles Lakers punched their ticket to the NBA Playoffs Tuesday night with a 110-106 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

The game remained close throughout and came down to the wire.

With 3.1 seconds to play, Pelicans forward Larry Nance hit a layup to cut the Lakers’ lead to two points. On the ensuing inbounds pass, Lakers center Anthony Davis was fouled and headed to the foul line. After Davis made the first free throw to put the Lakers up by three, all he needed to do was sink one more and effectively end the game, putting the team up by two possessions with just two seconds to play.

However, for some reason, TNT commentator Reggie Miller inexplicably suggested Davis should intentionally miss the free throw.

“If he makes the first one, you’re up three. Do you try to purposely make the second one? They have no timeouts and they have to go coast-to-coast. Or do you make it, go up four, and game over?” Miller asked.

The obvious answer is to make the free throw and seal the game, which Davis proceeded to do. It’s unclear what Miller was thinking, as even with no timeouts, 2.7 seconds is enough time to get near halfcourt where plenty of players have proven to be able to make a shot from.

It seems possible that Miller thought the Lakers were up by one and the first free throw would make it a two-point game, but even then, he himself noted that if they made both they’d be up by four.

Miller’s head-scratching point was immediately met with confusion among media members on X.

The Lakers will face the Denver Nuggets in the First Round, starting on Saturday.

[Photo Credit: TNT]

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