Fans who believe in the dreaded announcer’s jinx likely felt vindicated during Tuesday’s Memphis Grizzlies-New Orleans Pelicans game.
Memphis trailed 103-102 with just a second to play at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. drew a foul with 0.4 left on the clock and was awarded two free throws.
Pelicans announcer Joel Meyers was keenly aware of how prolific the Grizzlies and JJJ had been at the free throw line up to that point. Before the foul shots, Memphis had just two misses on 25 attempts, while Jackson was a perfect 8-of-8.
Meyers virtually dared the basketball gods to make Jackson miss one by talking about how improbable it would be. As fate would have it, Jackson muffed the second free throw and the game went into overtime.
“Remember, they’re 23-of-25 from the free throw line. Jaren Jackson, he’s not missing. I wish he would, for all of you back home. But I’d be shocked. He’s 8-of-8 at the line tonight,” said Meyers.
Meyers and broadcast partner Antonio Daniels were ecstatic about how they “wished [the miss] into existence.”
However, the Pelicans broadcast team’s excitement was short-lived. The Grizzlies managed to shake off the missed free throw to pull off the 116-115 OT win on the road.
Ironically, Memphis’ win came thanks in part to a pair of missed free throws from Pelicans guard CJ McCollum. The veteran was off on both attempts as his team trailed 113-109 with 16.1 seconds left. The basketball gods are truly fickle.
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