For more than 25 years, when Reggie Miller has been in New York, Knicks fans have had the same refrain, the same feeling, the same memory of that famous evening of May 7, 1995 and that Game 1 of the conference semi-finals.
“They all say the same thing: I left the game, I turned off the television, I went to put my baby to bed. The game was over”, says the former Pacers trigger.
It must be said that with 6 points ahead for the formation of Pat Riley and only 18.7 seconds to play (105-99), the hopes of the Pacers in this first game at Madison Square Garden were very slim.
The Knicks in shock
Only since the previous season, and his “trash talking” with Spike Lee with his 25 points in the last quarter, Reggie Miller has become the specialist in impossible missions and improbable scenarios in New York. This city has power over him.
“The Knicks, New York and Madison Square Garden have always brought out the best in me. Always “, he explains to ESPN. “It lights a fire inside me, I want more than to beat them at home, I want to steal the show. I had some great times there. »
Everything happens in two stages. The Pacer scores first at 3-pts to close the gap. Indiana presses as high as possible, to force a loose ball. The Knicks are out of timeouts. The late Anthony Mason arrived at the end of the five seconds to make the throw-in, so he gets rid of the ball by passing to Greg Anthony. But the latter is on the ground. That’s when Reggie Miller intercepts the ball, lands a dribble to get behind the line and sends an award-winning missile. It’s inside.
The public is flabbergasted: in 5.5 seconds, Reggie Miller has just scored two 3-point baskets in a row to equalize! “We were in shock”will admit Anthony Mason. “Stunned, bewildered by his second 3-pt shot. A real nightmare. »
A big slap in the face. However, thanks to an unnecessary fault, the Knicks have the opportunity to go back in front. But the tremors of this slap are too strong and John Starks will miss on his two attempts on the free throw line. Then, rebound from Patrick Ewing who tries his luck but also misses. Reggie Miller then flies away to catch the ball, he gets the fault and goes to register his two free throws.
The talent of vice
In 8.9 seconds, the Pacers star has just scored 8 points and given the victory to the Pacers in one of the greatest comebacks in history. And in terrible disappointment for the New York franchise.
“They shit themselves on it”, will declare Reggie Miller in stride, in reference to the “choke” of last season. “How can you lose a six-point lead in 16 seconds? What are they going to do now, make me swallow my words? Hit me harder than they already do? We have tough guys too, we’re not intimidated. The Knicks are the worst prima donnas I know. They may respect the Bulls and the Magic, but we obviously don’t. It is reality. I don’t care what they think and if they don’t like what I say, fuck them. »
From this historical sequence, we will obviously remember this stroller on Greg Anthony that Reggie Miller will take almost twenty years to recognize.
There is everything Reggie Miller in this legendary sequence: the shooter, the “clutch player” and the vicious player.
“Yes, I pushed Greg Anthony on the second 3-point shot. But the referee didn’t see it. The end justifies the means as Magic Johnson would say. I apologize Greg. I had never said it publicly. I hope we are ok”he will say during his speech to the Hall of Fame in 2012.
