Reggie Miller was one of the first true shooters in the NBA, who scored a high volume from beyond the three-point line in the 1990s before the advent of Stephen Curry on the scene. Miller’s most iconic shot came in Game 4 of the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals against the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls. The Indiana Pacers star shoved Michael Jordan en route to a clutch game-winning three. More than a decade later, Isiah Thomas could be seen singing Miller’s praises as an elite clutch shot-maker in the NBA.
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Reggie Miller has always had nerves of steel, and the moment was never too big for him. A clutch shot-maker in the truest sense, the five-time NBA All-Star has made plenty of much-needed buckets in his NBA career. Be it the 1998 game-winner against Jordan and Co. the back-to-back clutch threes against the New York Knicks in 1995, or the game-winner against the Philadelphia 76ers in 2001 for that matter. Miller could always get a basket when his team needed it the most.
Isiah Thomas talks about Reggie Miller as an elite clutch shooter
Isiah Thomas had coached Reggie Miller for three years between 2000-03 and hence, is eligible to give a first-hand account of his shooting abilities. In a video shared by ‘ClutchTime‘ on Instagram recently, Thomas can be seen explaining what made the 6’7 shooting guard one of the most clutch players of all time. According to Thomas, Miller had a natural ability to make shots when his team was down by a few points and the opposing side was looking to pull away with the score-line. Here is what the Pistons legend said:
“To me Reggie Miller was one of the [top] clutch shot makers ever in this league. And when we talk about clutch, I am not taking about at end of the game. Reggie Miller would make those shots when you down four and you need a bucket to stay in the game. That’s when you giving it to Reggie Miller. A lot of guys miss those shots. But the shots that you make to keep up with the team that’s pulling away, that’s when you got a shot-maker. And to me Reggie’s on that list.”
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A lot of folks believe that ‘Clutch’ shooting is all about end-of-the-game buzzer-beaters and game-winners. In fact, the league also considers the last five minutes of the game as ‘Clutch’ for maintaining statistics. However, as Thomas mentioned, it’s about making a basket when the team needs it the most. Not many players have the capability to make those shots.
Miller agrees to have slightly shoved Jordan
The iconic shot of the 1998 NBA Playoffs, one that happened at the expense of Michael Jordan, was probably the single most memorable moment of Reggie Miller’s illustrious career. During the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the Chicago Bulls, Miller hit the game-winner with .4 seconds remaining on the clock. However, there was an evident shove by the shifty guard to make Jordan lose his balance a bit, so that he could make a near uncontested shot.
In the 2020 Netflix documentary – ‘The Last Dance’, the Indiana Pacers superstar admitted to having slightly shoved Michael to hit the biggest shot of his life. Indiana was down 2-1 and the three helped the Pacers tie the series. Though the Pacers went on to lose the series in seven games, the matchup gave us one of the most iconic moments in NBA history.
