Eight points in a span of 8.9 seconds. That phrase is maybe the worst thing I could hear in the world of sports other than, Andreas Helmigk has the ball in the high post.\ In 8.9 seconds, my nearly 11-year-old world was turned upside down, and a villain—challenging the infamous ranks of such rogues as Snidely Whiplash and the Iron Sheik—was born.
Reggie Miller broke my heart. The Madison Square Garden crowd sat in disbelief that day as the Knicks' six-point lead evaporated into thin air. With 16.4 seconds left, No. 31 knocked down a shot from behind the arc (lead cut to three). He then pushed off Greg Anthony, stealing Anthony Mason's inbound pass, stepped back and drained another one from long range (game tied). After two John Starks missed free throws, Miller was fouled by Mason. The seemingly 200-percent free-throw shooter strode to the charity stripe and carelessly sank two, game over (thanks, Mase).
I was lucky enough to talk with Anthony, now an ESPN analyst, about that game. The 12-year NBA veteran admitted the anger Miller's display caused, but now can reflect on the moment with pure amazement.
""It was frustrating and disappointing, but by the same token, as you get further and further from it, you're in awe of what he was able to accomplish,"" Anthony said, ""because ultimately he still had to take and make those shots and he did.""
So, why bring up Miller after he has been retired for the better half of an NBA season? Well, Conseco Fieldhouse is set to raise his jersey to the rafters tonight, cementing him in Pacer lore with other Indiana greats like Haywood Workman, Fred Hoiberg and Duane Schintzius. And I, for one, can't wait.
Especially for that great highlight tape. ""Oh look at that one. That's where Reggie Miller scored 25 points in the fourth quarter in New York. Oh man, there goes Reggie again in 1998, hitting a three with barely any time left, forcing overtime, scoring 38 and leading the Pacers to a 3-1 series lead over the Knicks.""
""He was a guy who definitely performed at extremely high levels on the big stage, and he had some very memorable games against us at the Garden,"" Anthony said.
At MSG or not, there are certain guys in sports that you can't stand but you still find some way to respect. Roger Clemens can throw balls, bats, his spikes, even Chuck Knoblach at Mike Piazza. I'll still hate The Rocket, but I appreciate what he does. Michael Jordan might have thrown Byron Russell to the ground to make the single greatest shot of his career, but who doesn't love an Air Jordan highlight reel?
Miller, on the other hand, the man to whom Spike Lee once sent black roses before a playoff game, is a different breed. The thought of his name makes my skin crawl. The man brought more sadness to my life than any Lifetime movie starring Queen Latifah ever could.
Knicks fans aren't the only ones to hurt at the hands of Miller. Bulls fans in 1998, Sixers fans in 2001 and Nets fans in 2002 all cried inside, albeit briefly, when Mr. Clutch torched them in the postseason.
""You always knew that a guy of that caliber had an opportunity to beat you; he was more than capable,"" Anthony said. ""He had proven it on many occasions when I was a Knick. You literally had as much concern about him as you did a Michael Jordan.""
As the years of Miller's career winded down, his shot began to fizzle, yet he was still a wild-card that as an opposing fan, you never wanted the ball in his hands with less than five minutes on the clock. He was like Mark McGwire off the bench for the Cardinals in 2000 or the way Alonzo Mourning's role has changed with the Miami Heat. Their skill level might have decreased, but that intangible still lurked or lurks in Zo's case.
Every time I see replays of the ""eight points in 8.9 seconds game,"" I shout at the television, screaming for a foul as Miller pushed Anthony to the ground to intercept Mason's pass. As Anthony has gotten older, though, he grudgingly has accepted that no whistle was blown.
""It's a foul only if the official sees it,"" Anthony said. The official didn't see that one.""
Sam Pepper is a junior majoring in political science. E-mail him sympathy for the pain Miller brought to him or send anti-New York comments his way at sepepper@wisc.edu.\
