The Knicks-Pacers rivalry is back — and so are the iconic moments

Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals was an instant classic. But it's far from the only memorable playoff moment between the Knicks and Pacers.
When Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton hit what he thought was a game-winning 3-pointer against the New York Knicks at the end of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals — a replay review changed the shot to a 2 — he immediately looked over to the broadcast booth.
Locking eyes with former Pacers legend Reggie Miller, a TNT commentator, courtside at Madison Square Garden in New York, Haliburton brought his hands to his neck and mimicked the famous choke gesture Miller made in the same building 31 years ago.
Tyrese Haliburton makes a choking gesture after hitting a shot at the end of regulation Wednesday.Frank Franklin II / AP“Everybody wanted me to do it like last year at some different point, but it’s got to feel right, and it felt right at the time,” Haliburton said after Wednesday’s game. “If I would have known it was a 2, I would not have done it. So I might have wasted it.”
Whether or not Haliburton wasted the celebration too early, the series between the Pacers and the Knicks is off to a thrilling start. Game 1 alone (which Indiana won 138-135 in overtime) featured a never-before-seen comeback, absurd shotmaking, physical play and a thrilling finish, all while stars delivered signature moments.
The instant classic immediately became the latest entry in the New York-Indiana rivalry, which reached a fever pitch in the 1990s. A new generation is adding its own chapters to the story.
https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/nba/knicks-pacers-rivalry-back-are-iconic-moments-rcna208338
Rating: 5