Reggie Miller

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After advancing to the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Thursday night, the Pacers will face a familiar foe in their next playoff series: the New York Knicks.

PLAYOFF CENTRAL: Follow Indiana's Postseason Run at Pacers.com/Playoffs >>

The Pacers and Knicks have an extensive history in the playoffs, having faced off seven times in the postseason, including six times in an eight-year span. It's a rivalry so famous, they've made movies about it.

As the two teams prepare for the latest chapter of their rivalry, let's take a stroll back through memory lane to discuss the history between the two franchises. From Reggie Miller and Spike Lee to Roy Hibbert and Carmelo Anthony, here's how the Pacers-Knicks rivalry has unfolded over the years.

1993: Starks' Headbutt of Miller Sparks a Rivalry

The Knicks were heavy favorites in the first playoff meeting between the two teams. New York was the top seed in the East after winning 60 games in the regular season, while the Pacers snuck into the playoffs as the eighth seed with a .500 record.

The Knicks took the first two games of the series at Madison Square Garden, but the series is best remembered for what happened in Game 3 at Market Square Arena. As Miller recalled in the 30-for-30 documentary, "Winning Time," when he went to shake hands with Knicks guard John Starks prior to the start of the game, Starks ignored him. "From that point, on I made it a mission -- I'm going to embarrass this kid," Miller said.

Miller was feeling himself on this particular night, knocking down shots and exchanging trash talk with Starks after every make. At one point in the third quarter, the two came face-to-face near midcourt. Starks lost his cool, headbutting Miller, who threw himself backwards in theatrical fashion. Starks was ejected and the Pacers rolled to a 116-93 win, with Miller scoring a game-high 36 points.

The Knicks would win Game 4 two days later to close out the best-of-five series, but the rivalry was officially born.

1994: Miller Taunts Spike Lee in Comeback Victory

Perhaps the most iconic image of Reggie Miller to Pacers fans is him making the choke sign at acclaimed director and Knicks superfan Spike Lee. That image is from Game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals, when Miller led the Pacers to an improbable comeback at Madison Square Garden.

The fifth-seeded Pacers had made their deepest postseason run, knocking off the Orlando Magic in the first round before upsetting top seed Atlanta in the Eastern Conference Semifinals to set up another meeting with the Knicks with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line.

Both teams won the first two games on their homecourt, so the series shifted back to New York for Game 5 knotted at 2-2. The Knicks appeared on their way to another victory, up 70-58 entering the fourth quarter.

But Miller caught fire in the final frame, erupting for 25 points in the fourth quarter. As he hit shot after shot, he made sure to let Lee know, repeatedly shouting toward's Lee's courtside seat on his way back up the floor. The Pacers outscored New York 35-16 in the fourth quarter to steal the game, with Miller finishing with 39 points.

In his postgame interview with NBC's Ahmad Rashad, Miller smiled said "Spike Who?" when asked about his interactions with Lee.

As memorable as that moment was for Pacers fans, the Knicks got the last laugh in this particular series, winning Game 6 in Indianapolis and then closing out the series in Game 7 at Madison Square Garden.

1995: 8 Points in 9 Seconds, Pacers Eliminate Knicks for First Time

If Miller doing the choke sign is the most famous image from his career, his most memorable moment came in the same arena one year later.

The Pacers and Knicks met for the third straight year in 1995, this time in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. In Game 1, the Knicks again appeared to have wrapped up a victory, up by six with 18.7 seconds remaining.

RELATED: "I Almost Fell Over": An Oral History of Reggie Miller's 8 Points in 9 Seconds >>

But once again, Miller rose the occasion. After hitting a quick three out of a timeout. Knicks forward Anthony Mason attempted to inbound Greg Anthony, but Anthony slipped and Mason's pass went directly into the hands of Miller. Miller then quickly stepped outside the 3-point line and drilled another three to tie the game.

In the ensuing confusion, Pacers forward Sam Mitchell fouled Starks, not realizing the game was now tied. Once again, Miller taunted Starks and the Knicks guard missed both free throws. Miller rebounded the second and was fouled by Starks.

On the other end, Miller didn't miss his free throws, making both to seal the most improbable victory in franchise history.

Miller's postgame interview with NBC's Dan Hicks is iconic in its own right, with Miller's trademark bravado on full display.

"Mason choked, he threw it to me, I hit a three...John Starks choked, we came up big," a euphoric Miller recalled, then closed the interview by exclaiming, "We feel we can sweep this team. This is for you, Indiana!"

It wouldn't be a sweep, but the Pacers would ultimately prevail. Indiana got up 3-1, but the Knicks took the next two games to force a winner-take-all Game 7 at Madison Square Garden.

The final game came down to the wire, with Miller dueling with Knicks star center Patrick Ewing, both players finishing with 29 points. But Ewing missed a layup in the final seconds, allowing the Pacers to escape with a 97-95 victory.

Pacers radio broadcaster Mark Boyle celebrated the moment by shouting, "Ding dong! The witch is dead!" as the Blue & Gold finally bested the Knicks.

1998: More Miller Heroics, Pacers Prevail Again

The Pacers and Knicks didn't meet in the playoffs for the next two seasons, but found themselves matched up once again in the 1998 Eastern Conference Semifinals.

The Pacers took the first two games at Market Square Arena before the Knicks won Game 3 at Madison Square Garden. Game 4 was most competitive game in the series and featured even more heroics from Miller, who hit a 3-pointer with 5.1 seconds left to force overtime.

Indiana pulled away in the extra session for a 118-107 victory, behind 38 points from Miller. Rik Smits added 23 and Mark Jackson had a double-double with 16 points and 15 assists.

The Pacers closed out the series in Game 5 at home, with Jackson recording the first triple-double in the NBA playoffs in franchise history with 22 points, 14 rebounds, and 13 assists.

1999: Four-Point Play Propels Knicks Upset

The Pacers wound up losing in seven games to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals, but it felt like it was finally Indiana's year in 1999 following Jordan's retirement.

The second-seeded Pacers swept series with Milwaukee and Philadelphia to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they faced the upstart Knicks, who won two series as the eighth seed.

The two teams split a pair of games in Indiana with Ewing notably injuring his Achilles in Game 2, an ailment that would keep him sidelined for the remainder of the postseason.

Game 3 was the turning point in the series. Indiana led 91-88 in the closing seconds before Knicks forward Larry Johnson was fouled by Antonio Davis and hit a three (a call still considered questionable by many Pacers fans). Johnson completed the four-point play to lift New York to victory.

The Pacers rebounded to win Game 4, but the Knicks took the final two games of the series, with Allan Houston's 32-point performance in a close-out Game 6 eliminating Indiana.

2000: Pacers Exact Revenge, Reach First NBA Finals

The Pacers and Knicks would meet again in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2000. This time, the Pacers got their revenge.

The series opened at Indiana's new arena, Conseco Fieldhouse (now Gainbridge Fieldhouse), where the Pacers protected their home court by sweeping the first two games. The Knicks did the same in Games 3 and 4 at Madison Square Garden and the Pacers took Game 5 back in Indianapolis.

In Game 6, Miller had another magical night in what would be his final playoff game at Madison Square Garden. The future Hall of Famer scored 34 points, going 10-for-19 from the field, 5-for-7 from 3-point range, and 9-for-9 from the free throw line to lift Indiana to its first NBA Finals appearance in franchise history. As the final buzzer sounded, an ecstatic Miller leapt into the arms of teammate Jalen Rose.

2013: Rivalry Renewed, Hibbert Blocks Carmelo to Seal Series Win

While the Pacers-Knicks rivalry is best remembered for those six playoff series involving Miller, the two teams had one more memorable postseason battle in 2013.

The third-seeded Pacers and second-seeded Knicks met in the Eastern Conference Semifinals that season. The Pacers were a young upstart team, led by All-Stars Paul George and Roy Hibbert, while the Knicks had a veteran squad built around scoring phenom Carmelo Anthony.

Indiana took Game 1 in New York before the Knicks rebounded to win Game 2. The Pacers protected their home court over the next two games, taking Game 3 behind 24 points and 12 rebounds from Hibbert and Game 4 thanks to 26 points from George Hill and double-doubles by George and David West.

Anthony scored 28 points in Game 5 as the Knicks extended the series, but the Pacers returned to Indianapolis with a chance to close it out on their home court. The Knicks wouldn't make it easy.

Anthony dropped 39 points in Game 6 and the Knicks led 92-90 with five minutes to go. That's when Anthony spun past George on the baseline and rose up for a right-hand slam. Hibbert was there to meet him at the rim, however, somehow having the strength to deny the dunk attempt.

That proved to be the turning point, as the Pacers outscored New York 16-7 the rest of the way en route to victory. Three players surpassed 20 points for the Blue & Gold in the victory: Lance Stephenson (25 points and 10 rebounds), George (23 points), and Hibbert (21 points, 12 boards, and five blocks.

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A Pacers-Knicks Playoff History Primer

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Reggie Miller Surprises David Benner

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The Pacers have had but a single team reach the NBA Finals, the one that lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games in 2000. Simple logic, then, would seem to identify it as the best in the franchise's NBA history.

Simple logic, however, tends to ignore the nuances of a story.

The recent documentary on the Chicago Bulls' 1998 championship team, "The Last Dance," served the dual purpose of resurrecting the memory of the Pacers team from that season — at least for their fans. It pushed the Bulls to the absolute limit in the Eastern Conference finals, jumping to a 20-8 lead in Game 7 at the United Center before missed free throws and rebounds cost them a trip to the Finals.

That Pacers team earned the sincere respect of Chicago coach Phil Jackson and his players. Jackson opened his postgame press conference by paying tribute to the Pacers. A relieved Jordan, recorded in the locker room following the game, said, "That's the hardest we've worked in 13 years." And Scottie Pippen put it succinctly in his postgame press conference.

"I can't say that the best team won," he said.

That '98 Pacers team could be the best in the franchise's NBA history. But it also could be the one that reached the Finals two years later. Fate and timing are factors beyond the control of players and coaches and often weigh as heavily in the outcome of games and seasons as raw talent — at all levels.

It's not difficult to find Indiana University basketball fans who consider the 1975 team that lost to Kentucky in the NCAA tournament better than the one that went undefeated and won the national championship in '76. The 1960 Muncie Central High School team is one of the best ever to come out of Indiana — it won its regular season games by an average of 32 points — but suffered its only loss of the season in the final game of the state tournament and therefore isn't remembered among Indiana's legendary high school teams. And imagine how the Butler team of 2010 would be remembered if Gordon Hayward's halfcourt heave at the buzzer of the championship game with Duke had been an inch or two more accurate.

One shot, one injury, one untimely loss, one referee's whistle...all can have a huge impact on a team's place in history. The one that wins the most games in the regular season or advances the furthest in the postseason isn't necessarily the best in its class, but it seems obvious one of these two Pacers teams remain the best in franchise history. The teams that reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 2004, 2013, and 2014 had superior athleticism and perhaps even superior talent, but lacked the experience and hard-earned maturity of the teams from 1998 and 2000.

But which of those was best? Certainly, it's not an important issue in times such as these but the question is at least timely. The '98 team was revived by the Jordan documentary and we're in the 20-year anniversary of the 2000 team, so parsing them is as good a topic of discussion as any during a pandemic lockdown.

Proponents of the Pacers team that reached the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals over the one that took things a step further in 2000 have plenty of ammunition for their argument.

The '98 team won 58 games, two more than the 2000 team. Once it adjusted to first-year coach Larry Bird and his staff, it practically breezed through the regular season and first two rounds of the playoffs before colliding with the Bulls. The 2000 team, on the other hand, relied on its uncommon experience and cohesion to get through a less joyful regular season. It barely escaped its first-round matchup with Milwaukee, needing a clutch 3-pointer from Travis Best and 41 points from Reggie Miller in the series' ultimate game to avoid elimination on its homecourt. It then defeated Philadelphia and New York, neither of whom were nearly as imposing as Chicago had been in '98, to reach the Finals.

Despite all that, statistical analysis gives an edge to the 2000 team. Here's the breakdown, and here's a spoiler alert, too: there is no obvious answer to this question.

The Pacers teams of 1998 and 2000 had nine players in common: Travis Best, Austin Croshere, Dale Davis, Mark Jackson, Reggie Miller, Derrick McKey, Chris Mullin, Jalen Rose, and Rik Smits.

As for the remainder of the roster, the 2000 team's bench included Sam Perkins, Zan Tabak, Al Harrington, and rookies Jonathan Bender and Jeff Foster. Those five replaced Antonio Davis, Fred Hoiberg, Mark Pope, Mark West, and Etdrick Bohannon from the 1998 team.

Ask the players who filled a roster spot on both teams which was superior, and the results are appropriately mixed.

"I always thought the '98 team was better," Smits says. "I don't remember why, but I recall thinking that way. I was feeling over the hill by the time I retired (after the 2000 playoffs)."

"I think that 2000 team beats that '98 team, all things considered," Best says. "Jalen and myself were better, and Austin Croshere as well."

Rose, who played off the bench in '98, was a starter and the leading scorer in 2000. But he leans toward the superiority of the '98 squad after pausing to think it through.

"The '98 team was better," he says. "You had both Davis brothers and Rik Smits still playing productive. You have Heavy D (McKey), too. That's a throwback frontline. Look at that size, that height."

Jackson, meanwhile, doesn't care to offer an opinion. Doesn't have one, actually.

"I don't think it's fair," he says. "If you told me to name the rosters of both teams, I couldn't do it. They were both great teams and both capable of winning a championship — and should have."

Best, Rose, and Croshere provide the strongest argument for the superiority of the 2000 team, given their significant improvement over the previous two seasons. Croshere, a rookie who was injured and didn't dress for the 1998 playoffs, had become a valuable reserve who brought versatility to the frontline. Best, a third-year backup point guard in 1998, split time with Jackson at point guard in the 2000 playoffs, playing the second and fourth quarters of most games.

Rose who averaged 18.2 points and earned Most Improve Player honors in 2000, represented the only change in the starting lineup from the 1998 team, replacing Mullin at small forward, and averaged nearly seven more points than Mullin had two years earlier.

They weren't the only ones to show improvement, however. Jackson, who was 35 years old by the time the playoffs began in 2000, and Dale Davis (31) also performed better than in '98.

Davis was selected to the All-Star game for the only time in his career in 2000. His greatest improvement came at the foul line. Motivated by his 3-of-10 performance in that Game 7 loss to Chicago in 1998, he hired a shooting coach and reconstructed his shot. He made just .465 of his free throw attempts in 1998 and .685 in 2000. That enabled him to score 59 more points from the foul line in 2000 than in '98, a significant number given all the close games a team plays over the course of the season.

Jackson shot a better percentage in all categories in 2000 than in 1998 and had virtually the same scoring average despite playing 2 1/2 fewer minutes. His efficiency ratio, which measures overall performance, also was slightly improved in 2000.

Comparing Miller's seasons is more complicated. He showed decline during the 2000 regular season, shooting less accurately than in 1998, but performed better in the 2000 postseason than in '98 — and that's the more relevant comparison. He averaged four more points, shot better from the field and had a significantly better efficiency ratio in the 2000 playoffs. He also played the lead role in the close-out game in each of the first three rounds, scoring 41 points against Milwaukee, 25 against Philadelphia, and 34 against New York. He suffered a nightmarish 1-of-16 shooting performance in Game 1 of the Finals against the Lakers but averaged 27.8 points in the remaining five games.

The other three holdovers from the 1998 team showed various degrees of decline in 2000. Smits' ongoing foot problems had been solved but other body parts were breaking down. Playing five fewer minutes per game in 2000 than in '98, his scoring average dropped nearly four points and his shooting percentages slumped as well.

Mullin (36) and McKey (33) also were breaking down physically and would retire after the 2000-01 season, when they played for other teams. Mullin played in just 47 games and averaged 5.1 points in 2000. He had occasional flashes of production, such as in the final regular season road game at Philadelphia when he started for one of only two times that season (Miller and Jackson were given the night off) and scored 21 points while hitting 5-of-8 3-pointers. He wasn't a significant factor in the playoffs, however.

McKey played in just 57 regular season games in 1998 but had enough left to be a significant factor in the playoffs in non-scoring ways. He played in just 32 regular season games two years later and averaged 4.3 points.

So, that's six players in the improved column for the 2000 team and three in the declined category. And while scoring isn't the only measuring stick for a player, the 2000 "remainders" who hadn't played for the Pacers in the 1998 playoffs contributed 3.8 more points per game than the players in '98 who weren't still with the team in 2000.

For many, the comparison of the two teams comes down to Antonio Davis and Sam Perkins. Davis was a valuable reserve in 1998, averaging 9.6 points and 6.8 rebounds in 26.7 minutes. Perkins, 38 years old in 2000, averaged 6.6 points and 3.6 rebounds over 20 minutes.

Davis was such a respected player that Pacers general manager Donnie Walsh was able to trade him for the fifth pick in the draft following the 1999 lockout season. Davis went on to have an All-Star season in Toronto and earned a max contract.

Perkins, however, brought another legitimate 3-point threat to the Pacers, which enabled them to keep pace with the league trend. He hit 89 of them in 2000 at a 41 percent clip, and that weapon is one of the major differences between the two teams. The 1998 Pacers ranked ninth in made threes and second in accuracy. The 2000 group ranked first in both categories.

(As an indication of how the league has changed over the past couple of decades, this season's Pacers team averages 27.5 3-point attempts per game, which is still short of coach Nate McMillan's goal of 30. The 2000 team averaged 18.1 attempts. The 1998 team averaged 12.5.)

The 2000 Pacers also were the NBA's best foul-shooting team (they had been sixth in '98) and were a better rebounding team than in '98, although still not a good one. They ranked 20th in total rebounds, seven spots higher than in '98.

Antonio Davis was key piece on the 1998 Pacers team, but his departure from Indiana cleared minutes for emerging young players like Austin Croshere in the 2000 run to the NBA Finals. (Photo Credit: NBAE/Getty Images)

It's a common argument that Walsh should not have traded Antonio Davis for the draft pick that brought Jonathan Bender before the 1999-2000 season. Davis, obviously, would have contributed more than the teen-aged Bender in the 2000 season, and on the surface it seems his bulk and experience might have helped contain Shaquille O'Neal when the Pacers met the Lakers in the Finals.

O'Neal was at the peak of his career in 2000. He averaged 30.6 points in the Finals and was unstoppable everywhere but the foul line, where he hit just 39 percent of his attempts. Would Antonio Davis have fared any better than Smits, Dale Davis, or Perkins against the agile 325-pound O'Neal?

He would have liked to try, at least. He watched the 2000 Finals on television as a member of the Toronto Raptors, wishing then and still today he had never left the Pacers. He weighed between 240-250 pounds, hardly enough to match O'Neal's bulk and strength, but perhaps he could have fronted O'Neal, made him run the floor, done whatever was necessary to help wear him down.

"I think I could have been a tremendous help," he says. "It wasn't necessarily how much you weigh, because you can't physically try to match up with Shaq. That wasn't my thing. But I know I'm in heckuva good shape and if I can keep a body on you and wear you down so come the fourth quarter we can even the playing field a little bit, then I've got a shot.

"At least that's how I saw it," Davis adds, laughing. "That's what I told myself."

Perkins weighed 10 to 20 more pounds than Antonio Davis and got his turns leaning on O'Neal. Walsh recalls Perkins doing as good a job as anyone with the impossible chore and offers this bottom line to the argument.

The argument for retaining Antonio Davis also ignores the fact the Pacers had a logjam at the "four" position that needed to be addressed. The Davises and Croshere had shared the role in 1999, and all were frustrated enough by their lack of playing time to air gripes publicly. Antonio, remember, asked for a trade after that season so he could become a starter. To bring all three back for another season likely would have only heightened their frustration and damaged team chemistry.

Besides, Croshere and Perkins brought needed versatility to the offense by providing 3-point threats that spread the floor. Croshere averaged 15.2 points and 6 rebounds in the 2000 Finals, setting himself up to be one of the NBA's premier free agents that summer. Would Antonio Davis have contributed more than that? And it's not as if Davis' hypothetical contributions can be added to that 2000 team like bonus stats. If he were playing, Dale Davis and Croshere would have played and contributed less.

"With Dale and Antonio, you had two excellent players but there was a lot of redundancy," Croshere says. "I was significantly different than Antonio and complemented Rik and Dale in a different way."

Perkins did the same, adding a laid-back style of veteran leadership that was readily accepted in the locker room.

"Sam brought a lot to the table," Best says. "He was another guy who could play center, another guy who could knock down the three. He was so professional, so efficient."

Croshere adds another what-if to the mix. The 2000 team might have been better, he says, but perhaps the 1998 team would have been better suited to compete against the Lakers.

The primary advantage of the 1998 Pacers over the 2000 version might lie with intangibles. The '98 team was the first under coach Larry Bird, and spent the season in something resembling honeymoon bliss. The players were thrilled that Bird had come out of retirement to coach them and flourished in his trusting, uplifting approach.

The 1999-2000 season, however, was more of a grind. Bird announced before it began that it would be his last. That and the fact he was coaching his third season with the team removed some of the glow from the romance. That group won 56 games largely because of its superior experience and ingrained cohesion. It seemed in some respects on autopilot.

"I do remember there being some issues at times with the 2000 team," Croshere says.

Which is not to say the culture had turned sour. It just wasn't as great as in '98.

"I was in the NBA for 12 years," Croshere says. "The first three years (with the Pacers) were probably the most professional teams I was part of. By NBA standards that 2000 team had an incredible locker room. Maybe you noticed things here and there, but from the perspective of a 12-year career, that 2000 team was a great one to be part of."

Selecting one of these two teams over the other amounts to acts of extreme deconstruction and analysis. Both were great, both barely fell short of winning a championship, both had admirable intangibles. Arguments and counter arguments can be made all day, in either way.

"I'll tell you the truth," Walsh says. "I know you need something to write about, but I wonder why you're asking me all this."

And perhaps that's the larger point. These two teams provided the peak moments in a seven-year span that began in 1994 in which the Pacers reached the conference finals five times. The core of those teams barely changed in that period, recalling an era vastly unlike today when rosters turn over frequently because of free agency.

"We don't live in that world anymore," Croshere says. "It's a different landscape now. You're going to continue to see great teams, but it's hard to imagine fans can fall in love with a core group of players that will be together for the next six or seven years."

Prefer the 1998 Pacers team? Fine. Like the 2000 team better? OK. Better yet, appreciate the entire collection.

Have a question for Mark? Want it to be on Pacers.com? Email him at askmontieth@gmail.com and you could be featured in his next mailbag.

Mark Montieth's book on the formation and groundbreaking seasons of the Pacers, "Reborn: The Pacers and the Return of Pro Basketball to Indianapolis," is available in bookstores throughout Indiana and on Amazon.com.

Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Indiana Pacers. All opinions expressed by Mark Montieth are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Indiana Pacers, their partners, or sponsors.

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1998 or 2000? What is the Best Pacers Team in NBA Franchise History?

The Pacers' ascent to the 2000 NBA Finals was fueled by three memorable close-out games, each one linked by a similar force of nature: Reggie Miller.

Travis Best's game-winning 3-pointer in Game 5 of the first-round series with Milwaukee on May 4 stands as perhaps the greatest shot in the history of the Pacers' franchise, but it wouldn't have meant anything if Miller hadn't scored 41 points.

The Pacers eliminated Philadelphia in Game 6 of the second round on May 19 behind 25 points from Miller, who had been suspended for Game 5 after throwing a retaliatory punch at Matt Geiger in Game 4.

And then, on June 2, Miller scored 34 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, to deliver a 93-80 victory over New York in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. It still ranks as the most meaningful in the Pacers' NBA history — primarily because it sent them to the Finals for the first and still-only time, but also because it came in Madison Square Garden where so many of their best and worst postseason moments had played out amid high drama.

Location was everything in this case. So was timing. There could not possibly have been a better place for the Pacers to win a game that sent them to the Finals than the Garden — not even in their new home, then called Conseco Fieldhouse.

Miller had scored 25 points in the fourth quarter of a playoff game there in 1994, but the Pacers went on to lose that series. He scored eight points in 8.9 seconds in a second-round playoff game there in 1995, but the Pacers lost to Orlando in the conference finals. The Pacers had routinely removed the Knicks from the playoffs in the second round in 1998 but had suffered their worst playoff moment there one year earlier.

Favored by many to win the NBA championship in that lockout-shortened season, they had stumbled badly and controversially in the conference finals. They lost Game 4 in the Garden because of Larry Johnson's infamous four-point play and were eliminated there in Game 6 when the Knicks attempted 24 more foul shots. They had done plenty to self-destruct in the series, but still felt their title chance had been pick-pocketed.

So, to come back a year later and win a game in the Garden to reach the Finals? It was perfect retribution.

Miller brought up the topic with his teammates in their huddle before they took the court.

"If the league called us up and said we'd have one chance to go to the Finals, but you have to win one game and we'll let you pick the venue and the team, where would you want to play? And who would you want to play?" he asked.

The answers were obvious: Madison Square Garden. The Knicks.

Miller knew that better than anyone, of course, He was playing in his 18th — and as fate would have it, last — playoff game in the Garden. His greatest peaks and valleys had come there, and he was going out on top.

The Pacers controlled the first half to take a nine-point lead but faltered badly in the third quarter, when they scored just 12 points. Miller scored eight of them, including a 3-pointer with 25.2 seconds left to regain a tie. Starting over with 12 minutes to go, the Pacers went on to outscore the Knicks 31-18 to win it convincingly. Miller hit three 3-pointers from a similar spot on the right wing to lead the closing sprint. At one point he had scored 17 of his team's previous 25 points.

"Reggie was awesome tonight," Pacers coach Larry Bird said. "We went to him a little more as the game went on. It seemed that he got stronger down the stretch."

Miller drew strength from the previous season's nightmare. He had hit just 3-of-18 shots in the Game 6 loss, which he considered a personal embarrassment. He had avoided the trash talk and gestures that had punctuated his earlier games there but learned that mode didn't work for him. He needed some friction to rise to the challenge. So he made it a point to state in a press conference the day before the series began in Indianapolis, one that included New York media members, that he "hated" the Knicks.

Miller wasn't the only Pacer to get heated in the Game 6 victory. Dale Davis had 16 rebounds for the fourth time in the series and limited the previous year's nemesis, Larry Johnson, to 3-of-10 shooting. Travis Best came off the bench to score 10 points, eight in the final period. Mark Jackson had played a major role in getting them off to a good start.

"This is our home away from home, and we've had some great games in here," he said. "What better way to do it than on the road? Game 7 (back in Indianapolis) would have been too much pressure for us, because New York is the type of team that can come in to someone else's court and win. We wanted to end it here. Tonight was our Game 7."

A footnote to the game had occurred earlier in the day, when an article that was to appear in the upcoming issue of ESPN The Magazine was released to the media. Jess Kersey, who had called the foul on Pacers forward Antonio Davis that allowed Johnson's four-point play, admitted he had blown the call.

"I took something away from a team that didn't deserve to have it taken away," Kersey was quoted. "I'll live with that the rest of my life."

Miller took it back. And he can live with that for the rest of his life.

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2000 Was Miller's Finest Madison Square Garden Moment

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Rik Smits' Memorial Day Miracle

Editor's Note: In anticipation of Sunday's episode of "The Last Dance," which will feature the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals between the Pacers and the Chicago Bulls, Mark Montieth spoke to many of the 1997-98 Pacers about that season and the series with the Bulls. This section chronicles the seven-game series with Michael Jordan and the Bulls. Read Part 1 »

Eliminating New York sent the Pacers into the Eastern Conference Finals against Chicago, which had won the two previous championships and three in a row from 1991-93. The two teams had split their four regular season games, each team winning once on the other's home court. The Bulls had started slowly while Scottie Pippen held out, but finished strong to win 62 games, four more than the Pacers. Chicago appeared to be in the final phase of its 1990s dynasty, on the verge of breaking up. The Pacers felt confident they derail their last title run.

Austin Croshere, forward: I wasn't on the playoff roster because I broke the fifth metatarsal in my left foot in a three-on-three drill during early pre-game warmups. I already had a stress fracture. But as a rookie you might tell them that your foot hurts, but you don't want to be the guy who says you can't go. So, on a benign cut, that bone broke.

I remember Mark West being really excited because that meant he would be active for the playoffs. I was like, "Gee, thanks, Mark!" I played no role on the team anyway, so it wasn't going to matter.

Rick Carlisle, assistant coach: I thought Larry Bird did as great a job as a coach can do, coming in to coach a veteran team that the majority of people thought had run its course. A lot of people look at that team and say it surpassed expectations, but in that locker room, for all of us, we thought we were the better team.

PHOTO GALLERY: Looking Back at the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals »

Fred Hoiberg, guard: We did have a lot of confidence going into that series. Obviously, it's a whole different animal in the playoffs, you're going against one of the greatest dynasties of all time. But Larry had instilled a lot of confidence in that team.

Travis Best, guard: We were of the mindset everything was setting itself up for us to knock off the dynasty. It was our turn. Indiana had been knocking on the door for a few years, so I just remember thinking this was our time.

Mark Jackson and the Pacers weren't lacking confidence heading into the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals. (Photo Credit: NBAE/Getty Images)

Chicago won the first two games in the series at the United Center, each by six points. The Pacers came back to win Game 3 at Market Square Arena behind Reggie Miller's 28 points. He sprained his ankle in the third quarter and had to go to the locker room for treatment but scored 13 points in the final 4:11 to lead a 107-105 victory.

It was one of his classic playoff moments but was overshadowed two days later in Game 4. Running up from the baseline, Miller bumped into Michael Jordan, turned left, caught Derrick McKey's inbound pass and in one motion swung to his left and hit a 3-pointer with 0.7 seconds left that turned out to be the difference in a 96-94 victory.

While MSA went berserk and Miller ran to the other end of the court and jumped up and down on his sprained ankle, the national television cameras caught Bird standing in front of the bench with no expression, aware of the remaining time on the clock. Austin Croshere, equally bald as his healthier teammates, could be seen jumping up and down in the second row of the bench.

Croshere: I don't even have a memory of it. The only reason I know about it is because of the video. The video has become the memory for me. I've told my kids, I'm going to be in one of these episodes (of "The Last Dance"). I'm sure they'll pan to that.

Mark Jackson, guard: To see Reggie come off open and have the opportunity to take and make a shot was special. To see it drawn up and executed was a thing of beauty. And to hear that arena go absolutely nuts was special.

Dan Burke, video coordinator: We had that set with several options. You still see that set. I call it Y. Rick (Carlisle) had that already, and Larry liked the spread part of it.

Antonio Davis, forward: Big players make big shots. He made a big shot.

It's clear as day there was a little push. Was it a shove? It was a good no-call to me. Like Jordan in the Finals against Bryon Russell (later in the playoffs). It was a good no-call.

Mark Pope, forward: I have to go do these speaking things and one of my favorite topics is when Reggie hits that shot. The camera zooms in on coach Bird and he's stone-faced.

He had this ability to refuse to indulge in the emotion of the moment. All of us want to indulge in that moment and lose our minds. He was the only person in that building who was looking at 0.7 seconds on the clock. He was thinking, we've got a game to win.

People were screaming, ripping off their clothes, running around, and spilling drinks on one another, but that's when a leader should be at his very best. When everybody else has indulged in the moment, he stayed with the task at hand to lead our group.

In his first season as a head coach, Larry Bird nearly guided the Pacers to the NBA Finals. (Photo Credit: NBAE/Getty Images)

Two factors at the end of that game often get overlooked, both involving Derrick McKey.

His perfectly timed and placed inbound pass over Scottie Pippen enabled Miller to hit the shot without interrupting his motion. Then he defended Jordan on the Bulls' last possession, forcing a miss. McKey always made inbound passes in clutch moments. He, for example, also made the pass leading to Rik Smits' game-winning shot in Game 4 of the 1995 playoff series against Orlando.

After Miller's shot, Jordan barely missed an off-balance 3-pointer at the buzzer with McKey trailing him with a distracting hand in his face.

McKey had torn his Achilles tendon at the end of the previous season and did not play in a game this season until Dec. 23. He then suffered what was reported as a strained quad muscle in his right knee in Game 2 of the second-round series against New York, one that forced him to sit out Game 4 after attempting to play in Game 3. But the injury was worse than that.

Derrick McKey, forward: We didn't know what it was. I didn't get an MRI, it just felt like really bad tendinitis. In the playoffs you don't practice that much anyway, so I got treated between games and did the best I could to get ready. By the end of each game the pain had come back and was getting worse, but I could made it work.

I was on one leg trying to guard Scottie and Michael. I could defend going one way better than the other. The way I could defend better was to their strong (right) hands.

I had surgery right after the season was over with. I had the same surgery (Victor) Oladipo had. Mine didn't tear off the bone like Oladipo, but it was shredded. My tendon was shredded. When they did the surgery, they cut it off and reattached it.

Best: I know he played hurt all year. For him to give us what he had was impressive. He was such a diverse player in what he brought; he was a glue piece for us.

Antonio Davis: To me, Derrick was as valuable as Reggie. In my book, a lot of this stuff wouldn't happen without him. He was a coach's dream. He could do so many different things.

There were so many times Derrick would say stuff to me in practice and I would automatically do it from that point on. The way I posted up, the way I defended...little things. He was so talented and knew about every aspect of the game.

He was playing on a torn quad. I was like, "Man, you're crazy." That was Derrick.

Derrick McKey played hurt in the 1998 playoffs. (Photo Credit: NBAE/Getty Images)

Croshere: He was always in my corner, pulling me aside, telling me things about people I was guarding.

Jackson: Timely suggestions. He didn't say a lot, but he had nuggets all through that season and would tell you what he saw.

Donnie Walsh, general manager: He was a very underrated player. He was a pro's pro, that's what he was.

McKey: I (threw inbound passes) a lot in Seattle, too. I was used to it.

I just made sure where my (outlet) guy was I could throw it to if I got in any trouble with the first option. Someone like Dale (Davis) or Antonio who was athletic enough to get the ball if I needed to throw it in the air.

When Reggie came off, I saw him become open. Scottie was on me so I had to wait a little bit so I could see under his hand and get Reggie that pass in rhythm. Sometimes you have to give him a ball fake or a look-off. That might give me a little window I need to make the pass. Give it to him in rhythm and in the slot where he can go right into the shot.

If Reggie can get us to that point, then it's my job to go out and play defense and not put it on him defensively. He guarded Michael a lot anyway, but at the end of the game they put the closer in. I'm not a Mariano Rivera guy, though, I'm more of a Lee Smith guy.

Reggie Miller's game-winning 3-pointer over Michael Jordan in Game 4 remains one of the most celebrated shots in franchise history. (Photo Credit: NBAE/Getty Images)

A brief skirmish between Miller and Bulls guard Ron Harper in front of the Bulls' bench late in Game 4 led to backup forward Jalen Rose being suspended for Game 5 in Chicago because he ran off the bench. The Pacers were never in that one, losing 106-87. Bird said the team "quit on me."

But when the series resumed in Game 6 back in Indianapolis, the Pacers responded with a 92-89 victory. Best — playing the entire fourth quarter — beat Steve Kerr to hit a runner high off the backboard with 33.3 seconds left to give the Pacers a two-point lead. After Jordan hit two foul shots to tie the game, Best got a step on Jordan, drew a foul, and hit two foul shots with 8.5 seconds left. They proved to be the game-winning points once Jordan slipped while trying to drive on McKey from the left wing on the Bulls' final possession.

Best: I just remember being out there and thinking, I've got to be aggressive. I've got to look for the shot when it's there and I can't wait for anybody else to get it done. You have to try to make it happen. I was feeling pretty good, the fourth quarter came and I was able to knock down some threes and there were a lot of pressure situations late in the game where if you can't get the ball to Reggie you have to make something happen.

Walsh: Travis was a guy Chicago didn't know what to do with. They didn't have the quickness to deal with him. I remember one game Michael took himself out and they put Kerr in the game. On the first play Travis faked out Kerr completely and drew a foul and Jordan looked at him and started laughing. Like, I know what you're going through.

He was a little guy but he was built like a football player. You've got to be like that to go in there.

Burke: He came up at the biggest times, every year I was around him. Another glue guy. Just a good soul. We had a lot of that.

And so it was off to Chicago for Game 7. The Pacers had not won there in three games in the series and had been beaten badly in Game 5 but still managed to convince themselves they would win the game as they headed to the United Center. Bird had them get taped and dressed at the hotel. There was a practical element to that, assuring they would have ample pregame time if traffic delayed their arrival at the arena. But the players took it as a statement: "We're coming to play."

Jalen Rose, forward: Chicago is one of the places you actually get a police escort, so you don't have to worry as much about being late. They know the importance of these games, so they made sure we got to the arena.

I really believe that was a high school, AAU manipulation thing Larry had for the team. As a youngster I used to sleep in my uniform, sleep with the ball, the night before a game because I wanted to be ready to play. It was that kind of mindset.

Jackson: We laughed (about dressing at the hotel). We were like a high school team, like, This is going to win us the game. We're ready to play as soon as we step off the bus. We looked at it like, "This is genius."

Burke: We had a police escort, with sirens. You felt the intensity on the bus. There are always rides that are quiet, and that one was quiet. There was something thick in the air on that bus ride. That's what they worked for that whole year, to win that game.

McKey: We were confident. You get to that point there's not any more secrets. There's not going to be anything new. We had beat them three games and they beat us three games. We split during the regular season, too. We were thinking, "Why not?" I think we played like it. We knew and they knew it. They may not admit it, but we had 'em. A play here and there, like in any game.

Pope: I feel like I remember this so clearly. Coach talked to us about his first Finals experience when he played for Boston and what a magical experience that was. And as he did on rare occasions he was incredibly emotional talking about it.

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