Reggie Miller changed the NBA with his clutch shots and swagger in a way few players ever have. Despite playing in an era of great shooters, he is still remembered for his ability to get hot when it mattered most.
Reggie Miller, a retired professional basketball player, scored 8 points in 8.9 seconds during the 1987 NBA Championship game against the Boston Celtics. This led to many people wondering how many points did he score in total?
A miracle occurred in the NBA Playoffs on May 7, 1995, involving the Indiana Pacers. No, I’m not referring to the event known as “The Memorial Day Miracle,” which occurred on May 29, 1995.
Rik Smits’ buzzer-beating game-winning shot in game four of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Orlando Magic was the Memorial Day miracle.
The Pacers had to get past their fiercest adversaries, the hard-hitting New York Knicks, in order to reach the Eastern Conference Finals.
In the Eastern Conference Finals the year before, the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks faced off in a difficult seven-game series.
With his game 5 performance at the Garden during the 1994 series, Reggie Miller became a household name. With the series knotted at two, the Pacers began the fourth quarter behind 58-70. The Pacers’ season was in jeopardy when Spike Lee arrived.
Reggie Miller began yapping to acclaimed filmmaker and self-proclaimed Biggest New York Knick Fan in the World.
In 1994, the NBA was facing a minor crisis: the lack of a great guard. After the retirement of Michael Jordan, the NBA’s best player and largest “box office attraction,” the league was controlled by centers.
Spike Lee gave the Indiana Pacers and the NBA a fantastic present when he trashed Reggie Miller. The Pacers won the game, and the NBA had finally identified its star guard.
After each completed field goal, Reggie Miller slung shade at Spike Lee, scoring 25 points in the fourth quarter (and free throw).
Reggie scored 39 points on 14-26 shooting from the field and 6-11 from three-point range.
Unfortunately for the Pacers, they would lose the following two games, including a heartbreaker in game seven, which was played in New York, after winning game 5 and establishing a 3-2 series lead.
Semifinals of the 1995 NBA Finals: Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks
Yes, the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks would meet again the following season, this time in the second round, on May 7th.
The Knicks would have home-court advantage once again, and they would seek to duplicate their victory against the Pacers from previous season.
The Knicks were in excellent spirits as game one came to a close. With 18.7 seconds remained in the game, they enjoyed a six-point advantage.
– New York Knicks 105
– Indiana Pacers 99
Spike Lee was ecstatic, but Pacer fans all across the globe were in tears. Then there was Reggie Miller… again.
Reggie Miller had been struggling on the field up until this time. Up until that moment, he had only shot 5-16 from the field and 1-5 from long range for a total of 23 points. This would all change in a flash.
The Indiana Pacers’ Mark Jackson delivered the ball inbounds to Reggie Miller, who went open comfortably from beneath the arch.
Reggie hit three home runs in a row:
– New York Knicks 105
– 102 Pacers
Anthony Mason of the Knicks attempted to inbound the ball to Greg Anthony with 16.4 seconds left. Greg Anthony tumbled down (Reggie shoved him) just as Anthony Mason tossed the ball in, which was an issue for the Knicks.
The ball landed perfectly in Reggie’s hands, and he had this to say about the play:
“I could have easily gone in for the lay-in.” “Let me go back to the 3 and tie her up,” I replied.
Reggie acted in this manner. He took one dribble and backed up beyond the three-point line, where he sank his second consecutive three-pointer.
– New York Knicks 105
– 105 Pacers
When you hear the narrative for the first time, here is when everything start to come apart. Reggie Miller did score eight points in 8.9 seconds, but how did he earn the other two?
Reggie’s two three-point field goals are only seen in the highlights, although he did score two more points.
Now, if you’re familiar with the games, you’re probably aware that Reggie hit two free throws to put the Pacers up 2-0, but do you know how and why the foul occurred?
If you’ve ever wondered about this, you’ve come to the correct spot.
The ball was inbounded to Knicks sharpshooter John Starks, who was purposely fouled by Pacers’ Sam Mitchell after Reggie tied the game with 13.2 seconds left.
With the game tied and with 13.2 seconds remaining, why would you foul? Why would you foul a shooter that shot 73.7 percent from the line this season (John Starks)?
The reason behind this was because Sam Mitchell of the Pacers lost track of the score.
Mitchell said, “I wasn’t attempting to foul.” “I was attempting to exert pressure on the ball. Reggie’s shot seemed to be a two, and we were down a point. They didn’t have any timeouts left, I knew. It was just a mental blunder on my side. We were fortunate in that we were able to recover.”
Yes, the Pacers were lucky that Starks missed the first free shot following the irresponsible foul.
After Stark’s first miss, Reggie Miller said:
“He has no intention of missing the second. There isn’t a chance in hell.”
Starks did, however, miss the second free shot, and a tussle for the rebound ensued.
The ball bounced about a little before arriving in the hands of the Knicks’ greatest player, Patrick Ewing, who attempted a short jumper to reclaim the lead for the Knicks… but he failed.
With 7.5 seconds left, Reggie Miller collected Ewing’s miss and was soon fouled by John Starks.
Reggie, who had gone 12-13 from the free-throw line up to that moment, was now under pressure. Is he going to choke like Starks? No, we would not do so (of course).
With no timeouts remaining, the Knicks tossed the ball in and made a wild sprint for their basket. Reggie Miller calmly hit both free throws, and the Knicks threw the ball in and made a mad dash toward their hoop.
The New York Knicks’ Greg Anthony would slip on his approach to the basket, throwing the ball over and handing his team the defeat.
– New York Knicks 105
– 107 Pacers
The series would run seven games, same like the previous year, but the Pacers would win 97-95 to go to the Eastern Conference Finals, unlike the previous year.
Reggie Miller’s remarkable comeback would go down in NBA Playoff history as the Indiana Pacers lost in seven games to the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Reggie Miller established himself as one of the game’s finest shooting guards, if not the best of all time.
In the postseason, the Pacers would face the Knicks three more times, including two more times in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Two of those encounters would be won by the Pacers, including in 2000, when they advanced to their first and only NBA Finals.
The Pacers went on to lose 4-2 in the finals against Shaq, Kobe, and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Reggie Miller would never win a championship, but his name must be included when discussing the best shooters in NBA history.
Do you believe Reggie’s 8 points in 8.9 seconds is the greatest clutch performance in NBA history now that you know how it went down?
Spike Lee, for example, is a fan who strongly disagrees.
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The “tracy mcgrady points in seconds” is a biography on the basketball player, Reggie Miller. The book discusses how he went from being a high school dropout to being one of the greatest players in NBA history.
Frequently Asked Questions
How fast did Reggie Miller score in 8 seconds?
A: Reggie Miller scored a total of 30 points in 8 seconds.
Why is Reggie Miller famous?
A: Reggie Miller was the first player in NBA history to be drafted straight out of high school. He attended Oak Hill Academy, where he averaged 32 points per game before being selected with the 3rd overall pick by the Indiana Pacers in 1987. Although not well-known for his defense, which at times left him vulnerable against opposing guards and forwards that could create their own shot or score on an uncontested breakaway layup, Miller is regarded as one of basketballs greatest shooters ever because he scored more career points (25,192) than any other shooting guard
What game did Reggie Miller?
A: Reggie Miller is a professional American basketball player who played for the Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic and Miami Heat. He won two NBA Championships with the Miami Heat in 2006 and 2010.
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