Eight Points In Nine Seconds

On Sunday, May 7, 1995, Madison Square Garden hosted what should have been a routine Game 1 victory for the New York Knicks in the NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals. With 18.7 seconds remaining, the Knicks held a seemingly insurmountable 105-99 lead over the Indiana Pacers. The 19,763 fans were already savoring their team's dominant position, but they were about to witness one of the most devastating collapses in playoff history. What happened next would haunt the Garden for decades. Reggie Miller, the Pacers' sharpshooting guard, scored eight points in just 8.9 seconds—draining a three-pointer, stealing the Knicks' inbounds pass for another three to tie the game, then sinking two crucial free throws after John Starks missed both of his attempts and Patrick Ewing failed on the putback. In less than nine seconds, Miller transformed certain defeat into shocking victory, silencing one of basketball's most intimidating crowds. This wasn't just another playoff upset—it was a defining moment that exemplified the heartbreak that seemed to follow New York basketball throughout the 1990s. The sequence highlighted the Knicks' inability to close out crucial games and Miller's uncanny ability to torment New York fans, building on his legendary 1994 playoff confrontations with Spike Lee and establishing him as the Garden's most feared visitor. Eight Points In Nine Seconds captures every detail of this infamous collapse, from the pregame atmosphere to the stunned aftermath. Part of the Infamous Moments in New York Sports series, this narrative recreates the tension through eyewitness accounts, player interviews, and contemporary reporting. Enhanced with atmospheric black-and-white illustrations, the book examines how a few seconds of basketball became a permanent scar on New York sports history.