All of us noticed and heard over the previous month, did we ever, noticed how deeply individuals nonetheless care concerning the Knicks round right here, on this time when the Knicks lastly fell wanting making it again to the Finals however mattered as a lot over the previous month as they ever had in New York.
And all those that do care concerning the Knicks, and even those that don’t, will at all times speak concerning the finish of Recreation 1, when the Knicks the place forward of the Pacers by 14 with underneath three minutes left and nonetheless forward 9 with underneath a minute was left and misplaced. Did they ever.
Trying again, that second does really feel like Freddie Freeman’s grand slam to finish Recreation 1 of the final World Collection, a shot from which the Yankees by no means recovered; seems like Kirk Gibson’s Recreation 1 walk-off in 1988 in opposition to the A’s, who by no means recovered. However guess what? The Yankees might have come again in the event that they have been ok. The A’s might have performed the identical factor. So might the Knicks.
They weren’t ok. Which means they weren’t ok this time. However they’re getting higher, and they’re getting nearer.
The Pacers acquired knocked out of the ring within the convention finals a yr in the past. Now right here they’re. I imagine the Knicks are on the identical development, whether or not the Pacers are of their means once more subsequent yr. Is it a positive factor? In fact not.
However it is a positive factor as we shut the books on the 2024-25 Knicks season:
The Curse of Reggie continues to be very a lot in full pressure round right here.
Reggie Miller. That Reggie. Theirs, not ours.
And it wasn’t simply the ghost of No. 31 hovering over this collection, he was sitting proper there at courtside, a part of the final “NBA on TNT” video games we’re ever going to get. To make issues worse on the very finish, there he was, entrance and middle when the trophies acquired handed out after the Knicks have been within the locker room and already into subsequent season.
Curse of Reggie. It was 30 years in the past precisely, a Sunday afternoon on the Backyard, when Reggie Miller scored eight factors within the final 8.9 seconds of Recreation 1 and the Pacers stole that one by a basket. These Knicks by no means totally recovered, although they have been finally in a position to push the factor to seven video games, Recreation 7 again on the Backyard, one other bloody basketball Sunday for the house group. You already know what occurred, on the bitter finish. The doorways on either side of the lane opened vast for Patrick Ewing and he was alone in entrance of the basket. Then he missed the finger roll that will have prolonged the Knicks season into time beyond regulation.
In 2013, it was Knicks vs. Pacers once more, Japanese Convention semis. Knicks had homecourt benefit once more after successful 54 video games.
So one other Recreation 1 on the Backyard. Knicks misplaced. By no means recovered.
There was one other Recreation 6 that yr in Indianapolis, and for lots of the night time it seemed just like the Knicks would possibly push that collection again to the Backyard for one more Recreation 7.
However then in an enormous second within the fourth quarter Carmelo Anthony – bear in mind him? – drove down the appropriate baseline and went up trying to throw one down. Solely it was Roy Hibbert stuffing ‘Melo and making you think he’d stuff the Knicks in that second. Curses and foiled once more and all that.
A yr after final yr’s Knicks-Pacers collection we’re nonetheless speaking about how all people on the Knicks besides Willis Reed was damage by the point the 2 groups acquired to Recreation 7. Besides? Besides that collection by no means ought to have gotten to Recreation 7. The Knicks have been all set as much as be 3-0 up after Recreation 3 earlier than Andrew Nembhard was the one making a loopy Reggie 3-pointer, the sort of shot Aaron Nesmith made down the stretch in Recreation 1 this time.
So the Pacers received Recreation 3 final yr. You already know the remainder of it, the wounded Knicks getting rolled by the Pacers in Recreation 7 the way in which they acquired rolled at Gainbridge Fieldhouse Saturday night time. Curse of Reggie, simply not the ghost, as a result of the man was proper there in a 3-piece swimsuit. In fact it was three.
Did the Knicks as soon as get him and the Pacers again good in ’99? They did. They did it as a result of it was Larry Johnson simply not making a 3-pointer when the Knicks have been on their solution to the Finals, he made a 4-pointer.
It’s nonetheless as well-known a shot in Knicks historical past as Tyrese Haliburton’s shot on the finish of regulation in Recreation 1 will at all times be for the Pacers. A lot historical past with these two groups, all the way in which again to Reggie and Spike and all that jazz within the 90s, all the way in which to 2000, when the Pacers as soon as once more stored the Knicks — one other wounded Knicks group — from going to the Finals. Now the 2 groups make extra historical past, in what was probably the most entertaining collection of those NBA playoffs by rather a lot.
Knicks weren’t ok this time, definitely not within the greatest moments of the collection. Didn’t defend properly sufficient, weren’t practically quick sufficient, turned the ball over a lot it lastly made you dizzy by the second half on Saturday night time, the way in which the Knicks seemed dizzy themselves chasing the Pacers round.
And with all that? Knick followers, definitely the younger ones sufficiently old to recollect the final nice time for them within the 90s, cherished this group. Beloved it deeply as they watched it make its run. These followers have an ideal proper to assume that issues will solely get higher when Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Cities get a second season of taking part in collectively. Brunson and Cities simply want extra assist, that’s apparent. It’s as much as Leon Rose to get it for them. Like now.
However for now? Curse of Reggie nonetheless in place. However possibly for the final time.
