Great rivalry · Player vs team
Reggie Miller vs New York: one player, one arena, endless theater
Miller’s shooting, trash talk and appetite for hostile moments made Madison Square Garden the stage for the defining rivalry of his career.
The story in one sentence
Miller’s shooting, trash talk and appetite for hostile moments made Madison Square Garden the stage for the defining rivalry of his career.
A hostile crowd can become part of a player’s performance.
Late-game shot-making changes reputations faster than whole seasons.
The best rivalries allow both sides meaningful victories.
Timeline
How it unfolded
1993
The rivalry begins with New York in control
The Knicks swept Indiana in the first round, but the matchup placed Miller’s perimeter nerve against one of the league’s most physical defenses.
1994
Miller turns the Garden into his stage
Miller scored 25 fourth-quarter points in Game 5 while trading gestures and words with courtside Knicks fan Spike Lee. Indiana won the game, though New York recovered to take the series in seven.
1995
Eight points in 8.9 seconds
Down six in the final seconds of Game 1, Miller hit two threes around a steal and then made two winning free throws. Indiana eventually survived Game 7 when Patrick Ewing’s tying layup missed.
1998–99
The rivals exchange victories
Indiana eliminated New York in 1998, with Miller forcing overtime in the clincher. The eighth-seeded Knicks answered in the 1999 conference finals and continued to the Finals.
2000
Miller earns the final word
The Pacers beat the Knicks in six to reach the first NBA Finals in franchise history. Miller scored 34 in the closeout at Madison Square Garden, completing the rivalry’s arc on its most famous floor.