What this epic New York Knicks collapse means for the series with Indiana Pacers -- and for their title chances - ESPN

There is nothing like the sound of 19,812 people saying absolutely nothing, but thinking exactly the same thing.

Shhhhhhhhhhh!

They yelled as Karl-Anthony Towns went to the free throw line with 14 seconds left in the fourth quarter with a rapidly dwindling lead.

Shhhhhhhhhhh!

They yelled as OG Anunoby stepped to the line with seven seconds left, hoping that quiet would somehow help him focus and keep the rising collective dread at bay.

But the quiet did little to stop what had become shockingly, suddenly apparent: The New York Knicks were once again face-to-face with the ghosts of their playoff past.

And frankly, it was a little on the nose. Reggie Miller, the Knick killer from those playoff battles 30 years ago, was courtside again, this time on the call for TNT as the Indiana Pacers reenacted some of his greatest moments Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals at Madison Square Garden.

He was there postgame, pointing at Tyrese Haliburton after the brash young guard paid tribute to him by reenacting Miller's famous choke gesture from the end of Game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference finals, when he scored 25 of his game-high 39 points in the fourth quarter and engaged in the legendary back-and-forth with Spike Lee that spawned a 30 for 30, «Winning Time,» in 2010.

Haliburton said he's watched that documentary «probably 50 times» growing up and had been waiting — over the course of two separate playoff series — for the right moment to reenact Miller's «choke» gesture in front of the MSG crowd.

«That's just a historic moment,» Haliburton said after the game. «Obviously him versus Spike, kind of the one-on-one. I felt like [my gesture] was kind of to everybody. But to [Miller], too. I wanted him to see