NEW YORK, April 6 -- As the temperature rose -- thawing out the New York Metropolitan area from a unusually long winter -- Tuesday almost had the feel of a late spring NBA playoff date around Madison Square Garden.

Or maybe it was also that Reggie Miller and the Indiana Pacers were in town.

The Garden fans showing some love to Reggie. Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images

The 39 year-old Miller, set to retire at season’s end, was in New York's Madison Square Garden for the last time.

Advertised as the World’s Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden has seen its share of sports heroes and villains. Former New York Knick captain Willis Reed on a bum leg made an apparition-like appearance from the tunnel before defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in the Game 7 of 1970 NBA Finals. Michael Jordan created plenty of highlights in the Bulls-Knicks rivalry, perhaps most remarkably "The Double-Nickel Game" where he scored 55 points wearing No. 45 that punctuated his return from his baseball sabbatical.

But Indiana Pacer Reggie Miller’s relationship with the Garden may be unparalleled. A trio of former Knicks; John Starks, Greg Anthony and Charles Smith appeared on ESPN’s Cold Pizza the morning prior to the game to offer up their opinions on the matter and Smith classified it as “love-hate.”

Yes, they love to hate each other.

"There's no doubt the synergy is there between Reggie and Madison Square Garden, but the other thing you've got to remember is there have been a lot of playoff series between these two teams,” said Pacers’ head coach, Rick Carlisle, before last night’s game.

“With all the times that they've played, there was going to be more opportunity for big moments. Somehow, Reggie has parlayed these unbelievable moments along with this rivalry with Spike Lee into a legendary happening that still lives. It's one of the more intriguing relationships that there's ever been in this league," added Carlisle.

Miller may have been the only athlete so feared that many Garden fans would chastise others who tried to torment Miller as fruitless at best and motivation at worst.

Spike Lee, on his own personal sports holiday, arrived at the arena after attending the Yankees-Red Sox tussle in the Bronx, knows this quite well from the criticism he received for taunting Miller. Lee, who last night sat in the same courtside seat where he and Miller exchanged barbs during the 1990s, however, stood and applauded Miller during the players’ introduction.

The love-hate relationship between the Garden and Miller was consummated on May 7, 1995. That day, Miller scored 8 points in 8.9 seconds at the end of Game 1 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals to snatch victory from the home team.

THE LEGEND IS BORN The Situation: Game 5 of the '94 East Finals What he did: Scored 25 points in the fourth quarter The Skinny: This was the beginning of Reggie's "clutch" legacy	56k | 300k
KNICKS KILLER The Situation: Game 1 of the '95 East Semifinals What he did: Scored eight points in the final 8.9 seconds The Skinny: For the second time in two years, Reggie rocks Madison Square Garden, officially making him the Knick-killer.	56k | 300k

"Ugh," sighed former Yo MTV Rap’s vee-jay and New York radio personality Ed Lover, recalling that nightmare he witnessed. “I’m a New Yorker and no doubt I’m rooting for the Knicks tonight, but Reggie deserves respect and admiration. I think the crowd will cheer him.”

Wrong. At least initially, as although many stood and applauded, there was a steady throng of boos. Will Miller be the enemy to the bitter end? Why not, his 1995 autobiography is entitled I Love Being the Enemy.

Many can’t forgive for him spoiling many Knicks playoff victories with his miraculous and clutch threes. They can’t forget that he has scored more career playoff points (421) against the Knicks than anyone. Although the Knicks won three of six playoff series against the Pacers, his infamous choking and other bodily gestures in the heat of the battle still sting.

In Game 7 of that same 1995 series, he scored 29 as the Pacers closed out the series in the Garden. Prior to that, in 1994, he scored 25 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter to rally the Pacers to victory and a 3-2 series lead in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, but the Knicks won the series.

In 1998, he scored 38 points in Game 4 of the conference semis, including a 3-pointer that forced overtime and the Pacers went on to win and take a 3-1 series lead. The Pacers closed it out in Game 5 as Miller scored 24.

The coup d’ grâce came in Game 6 of the 2000 conference finals when again, at the Garden, he scored 34 points – 17 in the fourth quarter - as the Pacers eliminated the Knicks to secure their first-ever berth in the NBA Finals.

Current Knicks’ radio and television play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson was a Knicks beat reporter during the Miller heyday. Before the contest, he said he looked forward to calling the game on radio, but he wouldn't do anything out of the ordinary to mark the ocassion.

“The players determine how you call the game so I won’t do anything different, I have no expectations but it should be fun.”

As the Pacers emerged to the court for pre-game warm-ups, they did not wear their typical pinstripes but donned their racing stripe '70s uniforms for a Hardwood Classic Night. Foreshadowed the end to the evening, a few fans chanted "Reg-gie, Reg-gie," reminiscent of a cheer for another albeit slightly more adored Reggie [Jackson] who played in Yankee pinstripes.

After a few pre-tip off hugs with the Knicks at mid-court, Miller promptly took the first shot of the night – a three of course. But he missed. There was a classic Miller pump and jump where he fakes the shot only to dive into the defender to draw a foul.

Reggie Miller and Spike Lee embrace after the game. Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images

To a man on the Knicks roster all were honored to have played in this Miller’s last game at the Garden. Former UCLA Bruin, like Miller, Trevor Ariza, said, “he’s a Hall-of-Famer and I was glad to have the opportunity to guard him.”

However, for the most part, the game, a decisive 97-79 Pacers win with Miller scoring 13 points did not fit the marquee.

“It did not have a Hollywood script ending,” said the veteran television analyst for the Knicks, John Andraise. “But at least they sent him [Miller] out right.”

With the game clearly in hand for the Pacers with under 2:30 left in the game and Miller on the bench, the entire crowd chanted "Reg-gie, Reg-gie." Miller soaked it in but would later say that he never thought that he would receive such a cheer.

“There were a few sucks in there as well,” said Miller also while chuckling.

As he waved to the crowd at game’s end en route to the locker room he detoured to exchange a hug with Lee, his foil or muse depending on who you ask. “I wish the NBA had more Spike Lees,” offered Miller. “He’s loyal and fanatic. He’s there even in a losing season wearing the colors.”

A relaxed Miller, who said he had no plans to coach, admitted that he likely will never set foot in the Garden again even as a fan. But he leaves behind a lot of memories.

“It was pure magic," Miller reflected. "There’s nothing else to describe it.”