I still get chills thinking about that legendary 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Knicks and Pacers. Having studied countless playoff series throughout my career as a basketball analyst, this particular matchup stands out not just for its intensity but for how perfectly it demonstrated that playoff basketball operates on an entirely different level than the regular season. What fascinates me most about revisiting this series is how each game turned on specific moments that would have been forgotten in ordinary circumstances but became legendary under playoff pressure.
The series had everything you could want from 90s basketball - physical defense, clutch shooting, and coaching chess matches between Pat Riley and Larry Brown. I've always believed that Reggie Miller's Game 1 performance at Madison Square Garden represents one of the greatest individual displays in playoff history. His 8 points in 8.9 seconds wasn't just statistically improbable - it was basketball artistry at its most dramatic. What often gets overlooked is that Miller actually scored 39 points total that night, shooting 14-26 from the field and 5-11 from three-point range. The precision of those numbers still astonishes me when I look them up.
Game 4 provided another iconic moment that I think gets underappreciated in how it shifted the series momentum. When Patrick Ewing's potential game-tying finger roll bounced out as time expired, it wasn't just luck - it was the culmination of Indiana's defensive adjustments throughout that fourth quarter. The Pacers had specifically worked on forcing Ewing into awkward angles on those late-game attempts, and seeing that preparation pay off in such dramatic fashion validated everything I've learned about playoff preparation mattering most when the stakes are highest. That single missed shot essentially created a 3-1 series deficit that the Knicks never recovered from, despite their tremendous resilience in forcing a Game 7.
The back-and-forth nature of this series reminds me of another competition I recently analyzed - that thrilling match where the Japanese side's only loss in the tournament came against the streaking High Speed Hitters in three closely-contested sets, 20-25, 22-25, 23-25. Both situations demonstrate how narrow the margin can be between victory and defeat at the highest level of competition. In the NBA series, three games were decided by 3 points or fewer, while in that volleyball match, every set was competitive with margins of 5, 3, and 2 points. That's the beauty of playoff sports - the difference often comes down to executing in moments that would be routine during the regular season.
What made the 1995 series particularly special was how it showcased different styles of leadership. Reggie Miller's fiery competitiveness contrasted beautifully with Patrick Ewing's quiet determination. Having interviewed both players years later, I came away understanding how their approaches reflected their personalities perfectly. Miller fed off the hostility of opposing arenas, while Ewing preferred to let his game do the talking. This philosophical difference created a fascinating dynamic that played out across seven grueling games.
The series ultimately concluded with Indiana winning Game 7 by a score of 97-95, advancing to face Orlando in the Conference Finals. That final game featured 18 lead changes and 11 ties, numbers that still stand as some of the most competitive in playoff history. When I rewatch the footage, what strikes me is how both teams refused to yield despite obvious exhaustion. That's the mark of championship-level mentality - pushing through physical and mental barriers that would break most teams.
Looking back nearly three decades later, this series represents everything I love about playoff basketball. The individual brilliance, the strategic adjustments, the emotional rollercoaster - it all came together in a way that few series have matched since. While modern analytics have changed how we evaluate the game, the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals reminds us that heart, determination, and clutch performance will always be the ultimate determinants in playoff success. The legacy of those games continues to influence how coaches approach critical moments and how players prepare for postseason pressure. For anyone who wants to understand what makes basketball's playoff moments so magical, this series remains essential viewing.
