All Reggie Miller could do was laugh.
As Madison Square Garden descended into disbelief after Tyrese Haliburton’s game-tying buzzer beater in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Miller broke the silence on the TNT broadcast with a prolonged chuckle.
Thinking he had won Wednesday night’s game, Haliburton unleashed the “choke” taunt made famous by Miller in the same round and in the same building some 31 years ago.
A video review revealed Haliburton’s right toe was on the 3-point line, making his shot a 2-pointer, but his Indiana Pacers beat the Knicks in overtime, 138-135.
“It felt right at the time,” Haliburton said of his Miller-inspired celebration. “If I had known it was a two, I would not have done it. I might have wasted it. If I do it again, people might say I’m aura-farming. I don’t plan on using it again.”
Miller directed his original “choke” sign toward Knicks superfan Spike Lee during Game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals. That night, Miller scored 25 second-half points to fuel a Pacers comeback win.
On Wednesday, the Pacers trailed by 17 points with 6:26 remaining in regulation; by 14 points with 2:51 to go; and by nine points with 58.1 seconds left.
Indiana ended regulation on a 20-6 run in the final 2:39.
Once the Pacers finished off the win in overtime, Haliburton saw Miller, who gave him a point from the broadcast table.
“After I did my postgame interview, we locked eyes and had a little moment,” Haliburton said. “I didn’t want to go over there because it’s obviously pretty hectic over there, but we communicate pretty often. Definitely a special time, and really cool he was in the building for that.”
Miller emerged as the ultimate New York sports villain during his Pacers’ six playoff series against the Knicks from 1993-2000, which the teams split, 3-3.
Other famous moments from the rivalry include John Starks headbutting a trash-talking Miller in Game 3 of their first-round series in 1993, and Miller scoring eight points in 8.9 seconds late in Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals to clinch a comeback victory.
“It’s our job to make history,” said Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns, a New Jersey native. “We’re not here to repeat history. We’re here to make history.”
Haliburton finished with 31 points and 11 assists, while Aaron Nesmith scored 30 points, including 20 in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter.
Asked about his celebration, Haliburton said it was important for his Pacers team to build its own history “while also showing respect and love to the ones who came before us.”
“I’ve seen that ‘Winning Time’ doc probably 50 times growing up, so I know that they didn’t win the [1994] series,” Haliburton said. “Would not like to repeat that.”
