Larry Brown excited about Knicks-Pacers playoff rivalry renewal
Indiana Pacers head coach Larry Brown in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on June 1, 1994. Credit: AP Photo/Bill Kostroun
He was there when it all began.
Larry Brown, NBA Hall of Famer and Long Island native, was the coach of the Indiana Pacers when the “Knicks vs. Hicks” postseason rivalry started.
He was there in 1993 when John Starks head-butted Reggie Miller. He was there in 1994 when Miller threw the choke sign at Spike Lee. And he was there in 1995 when Miller scored eight points in 8.9 seconds.
Now he can’t wait for the next chapter.
“It’s going to be a great series,” Brown told Newsday on Sunday from his home in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Brown’s ties to both teams run deep. He grew up a Knicks fan and can remember taking the train from Long Beach to the old Garden, where he would pay 50 cents for a ticket. He coached the Knicks during the 2005-06 season. Having had a home near the Villanova campus for years, he closely followed the careers of the Knicks’ Villanova trio of Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart.
As for the Pacers, Brown took over a franchise that hadn’t won a playoff series in its first 17 years in the NBA and led them to the conference finals twice. He has some incredible memories of his years there, many involving the Knicks.
One of the biggest happened 29 years ago Tuesday at the Garden when Miller led the Pacers to a 107-105 victory in Game 1 of a second-round series.
With the Pacers trailing by six, Miller hit a three-pointer from the left wing with 16.4 seconds to go. He hit another three with 13.2 seconds left after Anthony Mason turned the ball over on an inbounds pass. Then, after Starks missed two free throws and Patrick Ewing’s 10-footer hit the back iron, Miller came up with the rebound and was fouled by Mason. Miller made both free throws with 7.5 seconds to go, the Pacers held on for the victory and they ultimately won the series after Ewing missed a finger roll at the end of Game 7.
“Reggie, the bigger the moment, the more he thrived,” Brown said with a sound of awe in his voice.
Though Miller is most remembered as being the Knicks’ biggest villain, Brown said it was 7-4 center Rik Smits who ended up being the pivotal player when the teams played each other because the Knicks were so physical. Smits actually was the Pacers’ leading scorer with 34 points in that Game 1 win in 1995.
“If we could keep Rik Smits in the game, we could beat the Knicks,” Brown said. “Every time we played in the Garden, he had three fouls in the warmups.”
Brown is expecting the same kind of intensity in this series, which he believes will be all about guards Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton.
“It’s going to be critical to see which point guard prevails,” said Brown, a former point guard. “The point guards are so different. Jalen, I hate to say he’s score-first because he’ll make the right play and he’s very unselfish. The Knicks, though, really need him to score. That’s when they are at their best. Also, what people don’t realize is how much he gets teams into foul trouble, which really helps you offensively.
“Haliburton shoots open shots and gets everyone involved. He very rarely turns the ball over.”
Brown, 83, has always been a big fan of players who know their roles, and he loves the pieces both the Knicks and Pacers have around their point guards. Brown won an NBA title with the 2003-04 Pistons, a group of players who knew their roles.
At the beginning of the season, the Knicks often were compared to that Pistons team because both had good point guards but lacked any superstars. At this point, it’s fair to say that Brunson has reached superstar status. While some think the Knicks’ lack of depth will get them in trouble, Brown is not worried.
“OG Anunoby? I wouldn’t want him or Hart off the court,” Brown said. “Play them 48 minutes. If the Knicks can stay out of foul trouble, they are as deep as anybody. You don’t need to play more than seven or eight guys.”
The Knicks and the Pacers have met seven previous times in the postseason, including six times from 1993-2000. Many of the players on both sides of the present teams weren’t born when the rivalry was launched. Brown doesn’t think it makes this series any less intense.
“It’s great for the NBA to have those two teams playing again,” Brown said. “It’s great for the NBA to have the Knicks in the playoffs again. I watched the Philly series and the support they got was unbelievable.
“I can’t wait to watch.”
Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.
