NBA Classics: Indiana Pacers @ New York Knicks
1999 Eastern Conference Finals; Game 3 (Series Tied 1-1)
Location: Madison Square Garden; New York, NY
For those who don’t follow basketball, or don’t care enough to remember, the 1999 NBA season was strike-shortened by a player lock-out following the 1998 season, resulting in only 50 games being played rather than the traditional 82. 1999 saw the Chicago Bulls plummet to the depths of hell thanks to the loss of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, coach Phil Jackson, and a host of other key role players, and in their place, a lock of rookies, unproven bench-warmers , and washed up has beens. The 1999 playoffs started off with a historic series, as the #8 seeded New York Knicks defeated the #1 seed Miami Heat in a heart-stopping 5-game series, the first team to ever win as the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. On top of that, the Knicks advanced into the conference finals to face their old rivals the Indiana Pacers. Following two games, the series was tied, and their was some key player notes. The Knicks would be without star player Patrick Ewing, bothered by a nagging achillies heel, and Pacers center Rik Smits had a broken toe.
Starting Lineups:
Indiana Pacers:
1st Quarter Scoring: New York – 17, Indiana – 17
2nd Quarter Scoring: Indiana – 30, New York – 25
3rd Quarter Scoring: New York – 25, Indiana – 20
4th Quarter Scoring: New York – 25, Indiana – 24
Leading Scorers: New York: Larry Johnson (26 points), Marcus Camby (21 points), Allan Houston (15 points), Latrell Sprewell (14 points); Indiana Pacers: Rik Smits (25 points), Reggie Miller (12 points), Mark Jackson (11 points)
Final Thoughts: One of the last chapters in the Indiana/New York rivalry, another not-so-pretty game. The hero of the night, Larry Johnson, made three improbable three pointers, all ranging in difficulty and ridiculousness. Rik Smits put on a great, heroic performance for the struggling Pacers, but without a second key contributer, the Pacerjust barely lost grasp of victory. The Knicks would end up winning the series in 6 games before dropping the NBA Finals to the San Antonio Spurs in 5. The Knicks remain the only #8 seed team to advance as far as the conference finals, let alone the NBA Finals.
by Scrooge McSuck
Date: June 5th, 1999
New York Knicks:
C – Chris Dudley
F – Larry Johnson
F – Kurt Thomas
G – Allan Houston
G – Charlie Ward
(Notable Bench: Marcus Camby, Latrell Sprewell, Chris Childs, Herb Williams)
Coach: Jeff Van Gundy
C – Rik Smits
F – Dale Davis
F – Chris Mullin
G – Mark Jackson
G – Reggie Miller
(Notable Bench: Antonio Davis, Jalen Rose, Derrick McKey, Sam Perkins, Travis Best)
Coach: Larry Bird
Notes: Right off the bat, some unusual defensive covering from Indiana, mainly featuring Chris Mullin covering center, Chris Dudley. Not just because they are the two white boys on the court, but the height difference of about 6 inches, one is a G/F, and the other is a reguarley sized center. The most interesting note of the quarter is a pre-taped interview with Jeff Van Gundy, complaining about the fouls called in Game 2, or rather the lack of, against the Pacers, yet against the Knicks. Johnson and Dudley combine for 9 of the Knicks 1st quarter rebounds. During one stretch of the quarter, there were 4 offensive fouls and two poor ball handling turnovers by the Pacers. Johnson lead the Knicks in scoring with 7 points, including a deep three pointer at the buzzer. Mark Jackson and Reggie Miller both had 5 points for the Pacers. Oh, and Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees was in attendance for the game, don’cha know.
Total at Halftime: Indiana – 47, New York – 42
Notes: Rik Smits, through the first 19 minutes of the game, had yet to connect on a field goal attempt, but through the final half of the second quarter, scored 15 points for the Pacers, all on consecutive scoring possessions. The Pacers as a team didn’t attempt a free throw until halfway through the quarter, but were a perfect 7 for 7 for the rest of the half. Marcus Camby was noted for his excellent work off the bench, averaging over 7 points and 6 rebounds in 21 minutes per game. Indiana’s ball handling had been suspect, alllowing 10 turnovers through the first 18 minutes of the game. At one point a jump ball was held, between 7’3” Rik Smits, and 6’6” Allan Houston. The Pacers won, to the surprise of no one. Smits obviously lead the team in scoring for the period, while Camby lead the Knicks scoring attack with 9 points. In case you watched the game live, there was a Washington/Houston WNBA game hyped, too.
Score after 3rd Quarter: New York – 67, Indiana – 67
Notes: New York got into foul trouble early in the quarter, racking up 4 personals through the first half of the quarter. Scoring came from various sources, with no real big scorer being showcased in the period. New York was lead by Camby’s 8 points and Houston’s 7 points, while the Pacers contributions came from Smits (4 points), Mullin (4 points), and Jackson (4 points). Rik Smits was charged with a technical foul following an offensive, for throwing the basketball at a grounded Charlie Ward. Patrick Ewing, injured in Game 2 and out for the remainder of the playoffs, had been averaging 13.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg, and shooting 43%. Through the three quarters, there have been 15 lead changes and 13 ties.
Final Score: New York – 92, Indiana – 91
Notes: Early in the quarter, Indiana went on a 10-0 run, taking a lead of 81-75 by scorings end. During the stretch, though, Travis Best was injured colliding with Chris Childs. The Knicks crawled back, with scoring from Childs, Sprewell, and Camby. The biggest basket of the game came when Johnson sank a three-pointer on a foul, and made the free throw to complete the 4-point play, taking a final lead of 92-91. For the record, it seemed to be a phantom foul, or a very very very weak foul. Johnson also nailed a key three pointer earlier in the quarter, banking it off the back board. Johnson lead the Knicks scoring with 9 points, while the Pacers got 6 points each from McKey and Rik Smits. By games end, there were 17 lead changes and 16 ties throughout the game.
Sound Off!
Comment about this article on Da' Wrestling Boards!